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Milk Street Bowtie Popovers with Beef in Cream Sauce

Popovers with Beef in Cream Sauce

10 Servings

4¼ hours 2¼ hours active

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Jessica Costantini of Toronto, Ohio, has fond memories of her maternal grandmother’s Christmas popovers. She still recalls the aroma of them baking in the blackened, well-worn muffin tins that her grandmother used. “They were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with air pockets of steamy, buttery dough.” Split open then filled with her grandmother’s tender beef in cream sauce, the popovers were part of a rich, comforting meal. When Jessica attempted to replicate those popovers, hers ended up burned on the outside, and the insides were either too doughy or dry. So she turned to Milk Street for assistance. Popovers, which are believed to have originated in New England, have a lot in common with England’s Yorkshire pudding and share an almost-identical ingredient list. To re-create the popovers Jessica remembered from her childhood—beautifully puffed and with a light interior—we found two techniques to be key: Using low-fat milk yields crispier, airier popovers, and having the batter at room temperature promotes a high rise. Resist the urge to open the oven door to check on the popovers’ progress; if your oven has a window and a light, you can monitor the magic as the batter puffs up. Poking the popovers with a skewer and baking them for another minute allows any steam to escape, which prevents the pastries from deflating. If you have a 6-cup nonstick popover pan, feel free to use it instead of a muffin pan; the baking time will be the same.

10

Servings

4¼ hours

2¼ hours active

1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
4 bay leaves
1 thyme sprig
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch chunks
3 large eggs, room temperature
1½ cups low-fat milk, warmed to about 100°F
195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
1½ teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening, melted and cooled slightly, plus unmelted shortening for the pan
4 tablespoons salted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, plus more as needed
2 bay leaves
1 thyme sprig
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
For the beef:
  • 1

    tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons tomato paste

  • 2

    cups low-sodium beef broth

  • 4

    bay leaves

  • 1

    thyme sprig

  • 3

    pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1½-inch chunks

For the popovers:
  • 3

    large eggs, room temperature

  • cups low-fat milk, warmed to about 100°F

  • 195

    grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

  • teaspoons table salt

  • 2

    teaspoons vegetable shortening, melted and cooled slightly, plus unmelted shortening for the pan

For the cream sauce and serving:
  • 4

    tablespoons salted butter

  • ¼

    cup all-purpose flour

  • 3

    cups whole milk, plus more as needed

  • 2

    bay leaves

  • 1

    thyme sprig

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Directions

Popovers with Beef in Cream Sauce

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