Jessica Costantini, a participant of Milk Street’s My Family Recipe, has fond memories of her
maternal grandmother’s Christmas popovers. 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.
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
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
In the large pot over medium, heat 1 tablespoon oil, the onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onion is well browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, then
cook, stirring, until it begins to darken and stick to the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir the broth,
bay and thyme, then add the beef. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then cover, reduce to
low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the beef meets no
resistance, about 2½ hours.
When the beef has simmered for about 1½ hours, make the popover batter. In a large bowl,
whisk the eggs until well combined. Gradually whisk in the milk. Add the flour and salt, then
whisk until just combined; do not overmix. Whisk in the melted shortening. (If desired, for easy
pouring, transfer the batter to a 1-quart liquid measuring cup.) Cover and let stand at room
temperature until ready to use.
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. Using shortening, lightly
grease the 10 outer cups of a 12-cup nonstick standard muffin pan (leave the center 2 cups
ungreased, as they will not be used). Dust the cups with flour, then tap out the excess.
When the beef is done, remove the pot from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef
and onion to a medium bowl; set aside. Remove and discard the bay and thyme. If you wish to
reduce the cooking liquid for enriching the sauce, pour the cooking liquid into a fat separator,
then pour the juices back into the pot along with any liquid accumulated in the bowl; discard the
fat. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high; cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally,
until reduced to ½ cup, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Shred the beef into
bite-size pieces, retuning it to the bowl with the onion, and set aside.
Stir the popover batter to recombine, then divide it evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Bake
without opening the oven door until the popovers are well risen and deeply browned, about 45
minutes. Working quickly, open the oven door and, using a wooden skewer, poke a hole in each
popover. Close the oven door and bake for another 1 minute.