Crock Pot Roast with Gravy and Yorkshire Puddings

There is nothing like roast with gravy and Yorkshire pudding. The smell of a roast cooking reminds me of my Grandmother Jepson. My grandparents lived a couple hours away in the once small agricultural town of Clewiston Florida. We would usually make the trek around the Okeechobee Damn and through the fields to Granmother’s house on a lazy Sunday afternoon arriving to the smell of roast with potatoes and carrots. If dinner was not ready we would chase each other down the street to the park where a huge forest of trees grew beckoning us to climb them. They do not make parks like that anymore.

The first time I made a roast I became sentimental at the first whiff wiping away tears for those long lost years of yesterday. I can see my Granddad churning the crank on the ice cream maker. Remember my great grandmother Gram who lived in a small small cottage down the street; she taught me to sew and the enjoyment of rootbeer suds. There were the cows at Aunt Barbara’s house and the farm my dad’s mom resided at on the outskirts of town. I will never forget the fishing trips, trees to climb, the smell of my Grandad’s repair shop, the ice cream shop that was in the shape of a soft serve ice cream cone and the extended family who would converge together in the quaint 1000 square foot home to eat roast and listen to my Aunt Barbabra and Granddad serenade us on guitar. Through the years Gram’s house and the ice cream shop were torn down and those I love have moved on. But what is nice is the memories we keep and can enjoy for years every time I make roast.

Roast:
This is a dry roast but if you want you can add some beef broth. In my next post I will talk about a yummy way to use the left over gravy and beef.
1 (3-pound) roast
Roast seasoning
3 garlic cloves, quartered, divided
Olive oil

Bring roast to room temperature (about 1-2 hours). Turn crock pot on high (or roast in a 450 degree oven).

Make several small slits in the roast and slide the garlic pieces into the openings (there will be extra garlic). Drizzle the roast with olive oil. Coat with seasoning.

Heat a pan to medium-high heat. Sear the roast on all sides, 2-3 minutes each side. Place meat in the crock pot; sprinkle the remaining garlic pieces around the roast. Cook for three hours or desired doneness, basting periodically.

Gravy:
I was always afraid of making gravy until I saw Chef Ramsey. He made it look so simple I decided to just give it a whirl.

Pan drippings
1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp arrowroot or flour

Combine all the drippings, broth and flour in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and add roast. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Yorkshire Puddings:
Yorkshire pudding is just like a German pancake only baked in a muffin tin or cups designed especially for Yorkshire Pudding. In England they enjoy Yorkshire pudding with roast beef and gravy or they will eat them with gravy while they sip on tea. Here in American if you run out of gravy just sprinkle some powdered sugar and maple syrup for a quick dessert.

1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup flour
2 eggs
pinch of salt
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Pour a 1/2 teaspoon of oil in each cup of a muffin tin. Place the muffin pan in the oven until the oil starts to smoke. Remove of oven and reduce heat to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, mix the milk, flour, eggs and salt until smooth. Let sit until ready to use. (Batter may sit in a refrigerator oven night).

Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.