After the Event

Decided to render down the free fat from the butcher to make B some of the dripping that he adores (on toast with a sprinkle of salt). Realised that to give it a good flavour it really needed cooking with a joint of beef, so sent B off to the butcher to buy a joint of silverside. "How much" he asked, "about a foot long" I replied. It came to just over £17 in price, but weighed a good 5 lbs, so at just over £3 a lb was not THAT expensive, despite B saying that to get the flavour of dripping he liked, the small bowlful cost me £17 to make. And what did he think I was going to do with the cooked joint. Put it in the bin?

Seared the outside of the silverside in a hot pan before transferring it to the oven with the fat on top, and brought it out when the inside of the meat had reached 'medium'. Perhaps a bit too rare for red juices seeped out when standing, but as the intention is to slice it when cold (it is wrapped in foil and sitting in the fridge as I write), and reheat in gravy, it should be about perfect. The juices have been saved (also in the fridge) and will be used to make gravy along with other ingredients (onions, wine etc) to serve with supper tonight (beef, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, gravy... all for B, as I will have a salad and maybe some of the veggies). Was even prepared to make a Yorkshire pudding, but (thank you B from the bottom of my heart) was told it wasn't necessary. One thing less to do.
The dripping was a lovely deep cream colour with darker flecks in it. Made about quarter of a pint, but still some of the fat left that can be rendered down further. Said to B, "make the most of this, as will probably not be cooking a joint of beef again for at least 3 months".