Yorkshire pudding was invented by poor English people in the Middle Ages to trick one’s stomach into thinking that you’re eating more than what you really are. How? Filler. Using beef drippings, lard, oil, and flour mixed together became a sensible and scalable way for the poorer class of Britain to feed themselves – and their families.
Most notable cuisines came from the poorer classes, and the oldest recipes of the United Kingdom are no different, as the history of this dish goes back several hundred years. As ingredients have refined over the centuries however, one has to admit that this is actually one delicious dish.
Ingredients:
5 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
Roast beef drippings, lard or vegetable oil – enough to fill 12 muffin tins about ½ of the way up
Preparation:
Make the batter before removing the beef from the oven: Combine the eggs and half-and-half in a bowl and whisk until they’re totally combined.
Throw the flour and 2 teaspoons salt into a sifter and sift them straight into the bowl. Whisk until it’s nice and smooth, then refrigerate until the beef is ready.
After the beef is removed from the pan, increase the oven temperature to 450° F. Use a slotted spoon to remove any solids from the drippings. Pour the remaining drippings into a separate container.
Pour a small amount (about ½ teaspoon or so) of the drippings into each cup of a standard muffin pan and place the pan in the hot oven for a couple of minutes, or until just before the drippings begin to smoke.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven and immediately fill the muffin cups about ½ to ⅔ full. Bake 13 to 14 minutes, or until they’ve popped about as much as they can pop.
Serve them in a basket with a pretty napkin right next to the beef.
