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Brian Turner's roast beef and yorkshire pudding

Brian Turner, a 'Ready Steady Cook' regular and leading UK chef, is a champion of the great British foods. Here, he reveals how to amaze your friends with a British standard

Whatever the reason for the undeniable quality of our beef, Britain wouldn't be so great without its roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. I remember we cooked 25-pound sirloins on the bone at Simpson's in the Strand, and then we took them into the dining room to be carved in front of the guests

Batter puddings are traditional all over the British Isles, and Yorkshire pudding is the most famous, originally cooked in the tray of dripping under the meat as it turned on the spit. Why it became so associated with Yorkshire, I don't know. Perhaps it was because of the renowned meanness of my fellow countrymen: the pudding was served first, before the meat, in order to fill people up so that they would then eat less meat! To me its main purpose is to soak up the meat juices and the gravy.

Roast beef
Serves 8-10

1 x 4.5kg (10 lb) rib of beef (5 ribs)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yorkshire pudding
1 large cup plain flour
pinch of salt
1 large cup eggs
1 large cup milk and water mixed
1 tbsp malt vinegar

For the Yorkshire pudding batter, sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat well with half the liquid until all the lumps have disappeared. Add the rest of the liquid and the vinegar, and allow to stand.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven well to 220C/425F/Gas 7.

Prepare the meat by cutting down the backbone towards the rib bones with the knife angled towards the back bone. Take a chopper and then break the backbones near the bottom of the cut (this is called chining). Lift up the fat from the back and take out the rubbery sinew. Tie the beef with string to keep its shape.

Put the joint into a roasting tray and season well. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 190C/375F/Gas 5 for a further 1 1/2 hours. This will give you blood-red beef in the middle. The way to test this is by using a meat thermometer to test to 55C/130F or, as I prefer, by plunging a metal skewer through the middle of the beef, holding it there for 10 seconds and then running it either across the wrist or under the bottom lip. If the skewer is cold the meat is not ready; if warm, it's medium; and if hot, then the meat is well done.

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