By Jonniker
In my family, every big meal is accompanied by Yorkshire pudding. Now, it's not really a pudding in the traditional sense. Or any sense. I don't know why it's called pudding, really, because it's more like a popover, but no matter what you call it, it's delicious.
{Photo credit: Martha Stewart}
Traditionally, it's made with beef drippings, but frankly, I find that to be really gross. No thank you, in other words. Beef drippings make it bitter and a little . . . just ick.
Martha's recipe says to use beef drippings, vegetable shortening or lard. Which, you know what I think? No.
Butter. You want to make it with butter. That way, it can be both savory or sweet, depending on what you top it with (butter! jam! gravy!). Plus, the butter just makes it very rich and delicious-tasting, without being BEEFY. Beefy bread! No one wants beefy bread!
And honestly, it's so easy to do that one of my culinary resolutions is to make it more often in the new year. There are a thousand recipes out there, just substitute butter (salted or unsalted) for the fat involved and go to town until you find one that speaks to you. For the record, I find that making it in a glass baking dish vs. individual muffin pans is MUCH more foolproof.
My grandmother would always make Yorkshire puddings whenever she made beef and I LOVED them. I haven't had one since becoming a vegetarian 13 years ago... I had no idea they would still turn out with butter instead of drippings. Genius!
Posted by: stephanie | January 03, 2012 at 01:49 PM