When you hear the word “pudding” you may think of the North American version: a flavored custard-like dessert. However, Yorkshire Pudding is something different entirely. Similar to the popover, you basically just substitute bread flour for all-purpose and butter with salt pork rendered fat. What you’re left with is a sweet and savory steamed dish that will for sure be a crowd-pleaser.

Recipe originally from Cook’s Country, December/January 2011

This recipe will make 6-8 servings
Prep time (resting) 60 minutes / Cook time 90 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 oz Salt pork, chopped
• 2 cups (10 oz) all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups skim / low-fat milk, heated to 110F
• 3 large eggs

Directions

Pro Tips

Just a few tips to help you make the  Find salt pork that has more fat than meat on it. The fatter the better, in this case. As you search through your arsenal of baking pans and realize you don’t have two 8-inch squares, don’t fret. You can use two 9-round pans instead! However, you will want to avoid temperature-sensitive glass baking dishes that have a tendency to crack under high heat. Or, you can create individual servings by using muffin tins as recommended by Chef Garth Blackburn in our recent Holiday Cooking blog. Just jump to the Yorkshire Pudding Tips section!

Render Salt Pork

The rendering of the salt pork is done to give the flavor of fatty drippings – similar to how butter and oil are used in a popover. Don’t know what the term “render” means in cooking? Essentially, to render something is to cook the fat out of it! You do this by cooking the salt pork, covered, in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until fat is rendered and salt pork is lightly browned. This should take about 25-30 minutes. Discard the pork (which you can use to dress up a dish like Brussel Sprouts with Shallots, or in another recipe like Boston Baked Beans) and pour fat from the can and let it somewhat cool. You will want to reserve 4 tbsp for this recipe, and you can refrigerator rendered fat in an airtight container for up to 3 days – just reheat gently in a microwave.

Get Your Batter Made

First things first, pull out a large and medium bowl so we can get started. Combine the flour and salt in your large bowl. In your medium-sized bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and 2 tbsp of the fat reserved from your salt pork until smooth. Then, slowly whisk the milk mixture into the large bowl with the flour mixture. Once there are no remaining flour clumps, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour (60 minutes). If you are prepping a day ahead of time, you can refrigerate the batter instead for 1 day. Just be sure to bring it back to room temperature before proceeding to the next steps.

Bake, Cut, and Serve

You should first adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 425 F. Divide your remaining 2 tbsp of rendered fat between your two 8-inch square baking pans (or whatever pans you are using, see above tips). Place your pans in the oven and heat for 3-5 minutes, until the fat is just smoking. Pull out of the oven, whisk the batter, and pour half (about 1-3/4 cups) into the center of each pan. Return the pans to the oven, leaving about 3 inches of space between the pans to allow air to circulate. This helps each pudding cook more evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. The edges should be crisp. Take a skewer and poke a small hole in the center of each pudding and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes. Your final product should be a deep golden brown color. Transfer to a cutting board and cut at will. Enjoy your Yorkshire Pudding warm!

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