British · Authentic-ish British
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
560 kcal a serving, against 868 for the traditional version. That is 308 kcal off, or 35%, with 65.8g of protein. Serves 6. 2 hours.
What the traditional version is
The classic Sunday roast. For this, it's a marbled rib of beef roasted on the bone until just pink, resting in its own rendered fat. Yorkshire puddings made with plain flour, milk, and eggs, cooked in smoking-hot beef dripping so they puff up into crisp, golden bowls. The fat in the tin is gold for the gravy and those towering Yorkshire puddings.
What changed, and what each change costs
Rib of beef swapped for topside (lean beef)
A rib joint's marbling means at least 25% fat by weight. Topside is under 5%, and you can carve proper thick slices without a slip of the knife sending a wave of molten fat onto your shoes.
What it costs you. It's still beef, but you can't kid yourself: rib is juicier and more forgiving, especially if you overcook it. Carve with a bit more care and don't expect the same hit of beefy richness.
Beef dripping swapped for measured vegetable oil
Dripping is glorious stuff, but it's pure saturated fat. A level teaspoon of vegetable oil in each pudding tin does the same job for a tenth of the calories.
What it costs you. The Yorkshire puddings pop up a little less and you don't get the deep beefy aroma. It isn't the same, it's just honest about it.
Butter for gravy swapped for none
There's plenty of beefy flavour in the stock and roasting juices - you won't miss the butter in the gravy unless you're in denial.
What it costs you. Gravy's a little less glossy and has less body. Pour it on, don't expect it to coat your mouth like the old school stuff.
Whole milk down to semi-skimmed in the batter
It trims a bit off the final tally and the puddings rise just as well with the eggs doing the heavy lifting.
What it costs you. No one's calling the police over this. Once it's covered in gravy, you won't care.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 868 | 560 |
| Protein | 72.6g | 65.8g |
| Fat | 49.5g | 19.2g |
| Saturated fat | 21.5g | 6.2g |
| Carbohydrate | 28.4g | 26.6g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 8.4g | 11.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish British prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, eggs, milk, celery.
The method is in the book
Does it match the original? No. Rib and dripping are a hard act to follow. The beef is lean, honest and generous, and the Yorkshires do still rise - even if they refuse to reach the heady heights of your nan's. But what you lose in crispy beef fat, you gain in another roast you can eat without needing a nap. The point isn't to fake dripping, it's to serve a proper plate with a good, thick slice of beef and a pudding that isn't floating in guilt. If it's not Sunday lunch, at least you can still move afterwards.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish British, along with 57 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.