If you’re looking for a classic, hearty meal that’s perfect for any special occasion or Sunday dinner, then look no further than this recipe for roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. This beloved British dish features succulent, tender roast beef served alongside fluffy, golden-brown Yorkshire puddings. Roast potatoes and gravy finish this dish off.

If you think of a meaty dish that pairs perfectly with the Boschendal 2019 Shiraz, you immediately think of roast beef, delicious gravy, and pillowy Yorkshire puddings. It’s the perfect comfort food to enjoy while watching rugby.

For the roast beef, use either leaner topside (which is also more economical) or deboned rib roast, or whole sirloin.

Select the desired size cut and adjust your cooking time accordingly. You can roast potatoes in the roasting tray provided that your piece of meat is at least 2 kg to allow the required cooking time. Alternatively, roast separately, and I highly recommend my best-ever duck fat roast potatoes (use sunflower oil if you don’t have duck fat).

Please note that in these images, I sliced the meat with the grain, which is incorrect. You should always slice meat against the grain. I did this to fit the composition of the meat in the serving dish.

Yorkshire pudding recipe

An easy and traditional Yorkshire pudding that is crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

Classic British Yorkshire puddings in a bowl.

Recipe: Classic Yorkshire Puddings

Ingredients

250 grams of cake flour
150 ml whole milk
150 ml cold water
4 free-range eggs
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sunflower oil

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. The batter should be the consistency of double cream. If making by hand, beat the eggs, then whisk in the milk and water. Next, sift in the flour and salt. Whisk until smooth and lump-free. Let the batter rest for 15–30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 230°C / 450°F. Add ½ to ¾ teaspoon of sunflower oil to each hole of a 12-hole muffin tin. Place the tin in the oven for at least 15 minutes until the oil is smoking hot.
Carefully pour the batter evenly into each hole. It should sizzle immediately. If not, return the tin to the oven to heat longer.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the puddings are deep golden and well puffed. Serve straight from the oven.

A platter of cold Yorkshire pudding and rare roast beef open sandwiches with horseradhish cream

Five ways to use leftover roast beef and Yorkshire pudding:

1. Beef and Yorkshire Pudding Pie: Cut the roast beef into small pieces and mix with a rich gravy, then layer in a baking dish with pieces of leftover Yorkshire pudding. Top with a layer of mashed potatoes and bake until golden and bubbly.
2. Beef and Yorkshire Pudding Sandwiches: Slice the roast beef thinly and layer between slices of leftover Yorkshire pudding, along with your favourite sandwich fixings, such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise.
3. Beef and Yorkshire Pudding Salad: Cut the roast beef into bite-sized pieces and toss with a simple vinaigrette made from olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey. Serve over a bed of greens with crumbled Yorkshire pudding on top.
4. Beef and Yorkshire Pudding Tacos: Shred the roast beef and warm up the Yorkshire pudding, then fill soft tortillas with the beef, pudding, and your favourite taco toppings, such as salsa, avocado, and shredded cheese.
5. Beef and Yorkshire Pudding Shepherd’s Pie: Mix the roast beef with leftover vegetables, such as carrots, peas, and corn, and layer in a baking dish with pieces of Yorkshire pudding. Top with mashed potatoes and bake until bubbly and golden.

Leftover cold Yorkshire pudding and rare roast beef open sandwiches with horseradhish cream served as a party snack or canape

Roast beef cooking temperature and time chart

Place all the vegetables and herbs onto the base of a sturdy roasting dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. This acts as a trivet on which you place the meat to cook. Place the browned meat on top of the vegetables and herbs, and roast in the oven until it is done to your liking. Work on 20 minutes per 500 g.

Measure the internal temperature of the cooked roast beef and use the below as a guide to determine how well it is cooked (from rare to well done).

Rare: Out the oven @ 46°C/115°F – Final temp after resting – 49°C/120°F

Medium rare: Out the oven @ 48°C / 118°F – Final temp after resting – 52°C / 125°F

Medium: Out the oven @ 51°F/123°F – Final temp after resting – 55°F / 130°F

Medium well-done: Out the oven @ 53°C / 127°F – Final temp after resting – 57°C / 135°F

Remove from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Roast beef & Yorkshire pudding recipe served on a plate with a gravy boat

Prep Time:15

Ingredients

Roast Beef:

1.5 kg – 2kg Beef topside whole sirloin or deboned rib eye roast
A splash of olive oil use a little more if using topside beef as this is very lean
2 onions quartered
2 carrots sliced
2 celery stalks sliced
1 head of garlic clove removed and bruised slightly (you can leave the skin on)
2 rosemary stalks
3 thymes stalks
2 bay leaves

Gravy:

2 Tbsp flour
½ – ¾ cup red wine
750 ml 3 cups good quality beef stock
1 Tbsp berry jam

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
When the oven has reached temperature, heat a splash of sunflower oil in a large non-stick pan and sear the meat on all sides until just turning brown. If you are using sirloin or rig eye, you won’t need oil as you will start searing this meat on the fat cap.
Place all the vegetables and herbs onto the base of a sturdy roasting dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. This acts as trivet on which you place the meat to cook. Place the browned meat on top of the vegetables and herbs and roast in the oven until done to your liking. Work on 20 minutes per 500gms.
Rare: Out the oven @ 46°C/115°F – Final temp after resting – 49°C/120°F
Medium rare: Out the oven @ 48°C / 118°F – Final temp after resting – 52°C / 125°F
Medium: Out the oven @ 51°F/123°F – Final temp after resting – 55°F / 130°F
Medium well-done: Out the oven @ 53°C / 127°F – Final temp after resting – 57°C / 135°F
Remove from the oven and ready and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
While the meat is resting crank up the heat to 230C for the Yorkshire puddings if you are making them (the batter should have been made while the meat was roasting).
Carve the meat against the grain. If you’re using a leaner topside, cut the slices very thinly. This is important when using slightly tougher cuts of meat. Watercress is a delicious garnish for roast beef.
To make the gravy, place the tray with all the cooked vegetables onto a burner on your stove and sprinkle over the flour.
Allow this to cook a little and absorb all the fat. Then deglaze the pan with the red wine and once that has been absorbed, add the stock. Stir and scrape the pan down and allow this to bubble for around 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Use a potato masher to squash all the vegetables and garlic down to release more flavour. Add the jam to the gravy and season to taste. Add more hot water if you prefer the gravy thinner.
Once it’s ready, pass it through a coarse sieve and keep warm until serving. If necessary, put it in a small pot to keep warm.