Yorkshire puddings & beef dripping ?

trout

With the winter drawing in, I've gotten into the habit of cooking a Sunday roast.
I can get the roast nicely done, be it pork, chicken, lamb or beef, and I'm good with the sides & various veg.
What I'm finding hard to get 'just right' is Yorkshire pudding, which is absolutely essential for the roast beef.

I have a very clear memory of my mother making Yorkshire pudding, and she used beef dripping ... which I've not been able to find in any of the local shops.

Does beef dripping still exist ? Can it be bought anywhere ?
I've tried local shops, and butchers ... to no avail.

Is there a suitable alternative ? I've been using rendered vegetable oil, and I even thought (briefly) about pork lard, which seems to be more plentiful.

FWIW ... this is the plan I've been following

Batter (1 egg, 3 oz flour, 3 oz milk, 2 oz water). Add salt & pepper.
Mix batter 15 mins before roast beef is finished.
2 tbs of vegetable oil into baking tin ( fairy cake / baking tray)

When the beef is finished, I take it out of the oven, and then add the batter to the vegetable oil in the baking tray.
(Heat up to 240)

20 minutes later, I get something that looks, feels and smells like Yorkshire pudding, but doesn't quite taste as good as I remember.

rubadub

You could just collect/strain the fat from your roast itself, for next time anyway, or if you were quick you could strain it right away and use it while the beef is resting.

You could also cook high fat mince and collect the fat, doesn't really matter if specks of meat get in, just more taste. A butchers could well do it, or at least sell you scrap fatty cuts cheap. Or get fatty round/rib steak and trim the fat off.

The Hill Billy

You could try lard - like Cookeen - instead.

Alun

Hill Billy wrote: »

You could try lard - like Cookeen - instead.

Cookeen is just solid vegetable oil http://www.princes.co.uk/brands/cookeen/

I always used to be able to buy beef dripping back in the UK in butchers shops, in those waxed paper containers. Haven't tried to get any here TBH, but it might at least be worthwhile asking your butcher if he knows anywhere you might get it.

Minder

If you are looking for a substitute for dripping, you need to choose a fat that has an equivalent smoke point - rendered vegetable fat - the solid stuff - has a low smoke point - so temperatures above 200c will start to affect the flavour of the oil. Unfortunately, groundnut oil or similar have very little flavour but have high smoke points. You could try duck or goose fat which is increasing in popularity (sold in tins in some supermarkets). Mix it with a little groundnut oil as it also has a smoke point around 200c. It is also good for roast potatoes.

trout

Thanks for the advice ... will take it on board.

I'm not sure if I should mention particular brands ... but I have tried both of the 'name' refined vegetable oils ... the puddings don't taste the same

I'll take that advice about the smoke points ... if I drop the temperature to 200 or thereabouts, will the puddings still rise ? It's worth an experiment.

Failing that ... I'm hoping one of the olde-skool butchers in the city centre will be able to help.