Pan juices from a beef roastrib, sirloin or brisket all give excellent dripping
4thick slicesGood breadsourdough or a proper white tin loaf
Flaky sea salt
Coarsely cracked black pepperoptional
Instructions
When the beef comes out of the roasting tin, tip the pan juices through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Scrape in the dark sticky residue from the bottom of the tin too, that is the meat jelly and it is the best part.
Leave the bowl on the side until cool, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
By morning the fat will have set into a pale yellow layer on top, with a deep brown savoury jelly underneath. Both are edible. Both are the point.
Toast a thick slice of bread until very crisp. Spread the fat generously to the edges, then dig the knife into the jelly and add a streak of that on top.
Finish with flaky salt and a turn of black pepper. Best eaten standing up in the kitchen.
Notes
Dripping keeps for two to three months in a sealed jar in the fridge and freezes indefinitely. Strain it through muslin for cleaner cooking fat; leave it unstrained for toast, where the jelly is the prize.