Standing Roast Rib of Beef with Dijon and Garlic and Yorkshire Puddings

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Roast Beef:

One 4-pound/1.8-kg to 2-kg standing rib roast of beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
3 large carrots, peeled, roughly cut
3 large celery stalks, roughly cut
4 large shallots, quartered lengthwise
½ bunch fresh thyme 
1/3 cup/85 g Dijon mustard
1 cup/235 ml beef stock

For the Yorkshire Puddings:

3 large eggs
1 cup/145 g all purpose flour
3/4 cup/185 ml whole milk
1/2 teaspoon/about 2.5 g salt
5 teaspoons/25 ml vegetable oil
 
Method:

To roast the beef:
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180ºC.  Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.  Place a large roasting pan over a medium-high heat.  Add the oil to the pan and cook the beef just until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Add the carrots, celery, shallots and thyme to the pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Arrange the vegetables and thyme in the center of the pan and set the beef on top of the vegetables and thyme.  Spread the mustard over the beef.

Roast the beef and vegetables in the oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the center of the beef registers 125°F/50°C.  Transfer the beef to a cutting board and allow it to rest covered in foil for 30 minutes.  Add the stock to the vegetables in the hot pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Strain the jus through a fine-meshed strainer and into a saucepan. Discard the solids in the strainer. Rewarm the jus over low heat before serving.

To make the Yorkshire puddings:

Meanwhile, using a hand whisk or an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the flour in a large bowl until smooth and sticky (this will take 5 minutes).  The more the pudding batter is beaten in the early stage of making it, the better the puddings will rise when cooked in the oven.  Gradually beat in the milk to form a smooth batter.  Once the batter has no lumps, add the salt and set aside to rest for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200ºC.  Pour 1/2 teaspoon/2.5 ml of vegetable oil into each of 10 muffin/cupcake cups and then pour 3 tablespoons/50 ml of the pudding batter into each cup.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until the pudding is set around the sides and golden brown.  Remove the pan from the oven and lift the puddings out of the pans and let them dry.  Once the puddings have been taken from the oven, they can be cooled and reheated in the oven before serving.

To serve:

Cut the beef into slices and serve with the jus and puddings.