Shoulder Roast in Peppercorns with Yorkshire Pudding

  Preheat the oven to 430 deg F. Combine the mustard, tarragon, thyme, paprika, garlic salt, sugar, oil and peppercorns.

  With the palm of  your hand

cover the entire roast evenly

with this mixture.  Pour a little oil in a roasting pan and add half the onion rings.

  Place the beef on top of the onions and cover the top of the roast with the rest of the onions.

  Roast in the oven, covered, for 40 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350 Deg. F. and continue cooking, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Turn the meat over and roast for a further 15 minutes.

  Remove the roast from the oven at this point.  It will not be ready yet (unless you like it very rare) and will still need an extra 30 minutes cooking time, but to co-ordinate it being served with the Yorkshire pudding, which should be served as removed from the oven, I prefer to take it out now and leave it to stand while making up the Yorkshire pudding.

  While the roast is taking a ‘breather’, you will notice that it gives off the most wonderful, tasty juices, which will be used later in the gravy.

Yorkshire Pudding

  Preheat the oven to 430 Deg. F.

  This pudding can either be made in a muffin tin and served as individual puddings, or in a large, shallow roasting pan.

   Place a tablespoon of oil in each muffin cup or, if using a roasting pan, enough oil to line the bottom (about 1 cm deep).

  Blend the eggs and water in a food processor, or in a liquidiser like my mother does!  Add the flour and salt, and continue beating or blending. When smooth pour batter into a pouring jug.

  This batter can be made a few hours before and refrigerated until ready to use.

  Place the oiled muffin or roasting pan into the hot oven and heat the oil for about 10 minutes or place onto hot stove top to heat the oil.  The oil should be smoking hot.

  Be very careful when pouring the batter into the very hot oil as it can bubble up.  Ensure that it comes  halfway up the sides of the muffin cups or roasting pan.

  Just before putting the meat back into the oven with the Yorkshire pudding, drain the juices at the bottom of the pan into a small saucepan, which will be used to make up the gravy.  Get the meat ready to be placed back into the oven for its final heat up.  If you think the meat is not brown enough, put it back into the oven, uncovered.  If it is brown enough, cover it with aluminium foil.

  Place the meat into the bottom half of the hot oven and place the Yorkshire pudding on a tray just above it.

After five minutes reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 Deg. F. and continue to bake the Yorkshire pudding for another 25 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and becomes golden brown in colour.

 Do not open the oven, as the pudding will deflate!  So remember, you won’t be able to touch the meat either!

  Make sure all your other vegetable dishes are ready so that you can serve the meat and pudding as they come out of the oven.

Dark Brown Gravy

While the meat is heating through abnd roasting a little longer with the Yorkshire pudding, mkae up the gravy by combining 2 Tbsp gravy powder, 1 heaped Tbsp flour/cornflour and 1 1/2 cups cold water.  Mix well to form a lump-free consistency and add to the meat juices from the roasting pan.

Bring the gravy to the boil, stirring with a whisk as you do so.

Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for a few minutes.  Reheat when ready to serve.