Taking on a Woodfire English Sunday Roast Dinner might sound like the start of an international incident, especially when it is an American making it for the first time.
But this was a viewer request, and when the people ask, Dad delivers. I might not have grown up with Yorkshire puddings and roast beef on Sundays, but that did not stop me from giving it everything I had.
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What came out of the Woodfire was a roast full of flavor, supported by gravy, maple glazed carrots, and those iconic puddings that were entirely new to me.
Woodfire English Sunday Roast Dinner
Equipment
- Ninja Woodfire
- Ninja Woodfire Flattop Accessory
- Half Sheet Pan with Wire Insert
- Knife, Cutting Board
- Deep Pan
- 2 Quart Containers
- Butcher's twine
- Aluminum Foil
- Whisk
- Tongs
Ingredients
The Roast
- 3 LB Ribeye Roast
- 3 teaspoon Sea Salt About 1% by weight
- 2 tablespoon Avocado Oil Estimated
- Dad Dust 50% granulated garlic, 50% granulated onion, pinch of MSG
- 1 tablespoon Brisket Pepper Estimated
- 2 tablespoon Herbes de Provence Just Enough to Give a Nice Coating
- 3 tablespoon Beef Tallow For searing
The Gravy
- 32 OZ Beef Stock
- 4 OZ Sliced mushrooms Small Can
- 4 Cloves Garlic Crushed
- 6 tablespoon Unsalted Butter Reserve 2 tablespoon for the end
- 4 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Sea Salt To taste
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream about ⅛–¼ cup
Maple Glazed Carrots
- 8 Whole Carrots peeled, tops and tails removed, flattened slightly to lay flat
- 4 tablespoon Unsalted Butter Melted
- 2 tablespoon Dad Dust 50% granulated garlic, 50% granulated onion, pinch of MSG
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt More if needed to taste
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup
Yorkshire Puddings
- 4 Large Eggs
- 175 G Whole Milk
- 25 G water
- 2 G Sea Salt
- 150 G All-Purpose Flour
- 12 teaspoon Beef Tallow Just enough to put a little in each cup
Instructions
The Roast
- Cover roast with sea salt (about 1% by weight). Place it on a half sheet pan with a wire rack and put it uncovered in the fridge overnight.
- Coat roast lightly with oil. Season generously with Dad Dust, brisket pepper, and Herbes de Provence.
- Tie roast with butcher’s twine to hold its shape.
- Fill the Woodfire with smokin pecan pellets and set Woodfire to the SMOKER setting, 180°F (82°C) and 3 Hours. If you have the connected version insert a probe and set the Woodfire up as a Thermometer Cook, Manual, 120°F (49°C). Keep the roast on the sheet pan, so it can catch the drippings, and place it in the woodfire to smoke.
- When the roast reaches an internal temp of 120°F (49°C) remove it and then remove strings. Set the Woodfire to GRILL HI and allow it to preheat fully, about 10 minutes. Add the beef tallow to the grill plate and sear the roast on all sides until crust develops (about 4 minutes).
- Tent with foil and rest while cooking the other parts of the dinner.
The Gravy
- Add broth, mushrooms, and crushed garlic to saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes so it can reduce. Transfer to a container and wipe out the pan.
- In the same pan, melt 4 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Add 4 tablespoon flour, whisking constantly. Cook 3–4 minutes until nutty brown.
- Slowly whisk in reduced beef stock, a little at a time, until smooth.
- Taste and season with 1–2 teaspoon salt.
- Stir in 2 tablespoon butter and a splash of cream at the end. Transfer to container until ready to serve.
Maple Glazed Carrots
- Peel carrots, trim ends, and slice on sides so they lay flat.
- Place carrots in a container with melted butter, Dad Dust, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Toss to coat.
- With the Woodfire still set to GRILL HI, sear carrots on the Woodfire flat top with beef tallow for 2 minutes per side (with the lid closed). Give the Woodfire flattop a quick clean with water and a silicone scraper.
- Transfer to air fry basket. Set the Woodfire to AIRCRISP, 400°F (204°C) and 25 minutes. Cook for the 25 minutes.
Yorkshire Puddings
- Whisk together eggs, milk, water, salt, and flour. Cover and rest for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven with popover tin inside to 400°F (204°C).
- Add beef drippings or tallow to each well of the tin.
- Fill each well halfway to three-quarters with batter.
- Bake 20–25 minutes until tall, golden, and puffed.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!From the very beginning, this cook was about tackling a challenge. I leaned into the reverse sear method because nothing beats the combo of slow smoke followed by a hard sear for the perfect crust. Using pecan pellets gave the roast its smoky kick without any bitterness, and the probe in the Woodfire made sure everything stayed on target. The ribeye roast had been dry brined the night before, so it was primed to hold seasoning. That seasoning was simple but bold-garlic, onion, a pinch of MSG, chunky pepper, and herbs de Provence. Yes, French herbs on a British dinner, but it worked.
Yorkshire Puddings and the Woodfire English Sunday Roast Dinner
One of the most exciting parts of this cook was trying Yorkshire puddings for the very first time. I had never even tasted one, let alone made one. The batter came together with eggs, milk, water, flour, and salt, resting before being poured into a screaming hot popover tin slicked with beef drippings. These baked up tall and golden, with that puffed look that makes you feel like you pulled off some kind of kitchen magic trick. Topped with gravy, they reminded me of the best dinner roll you could imagine, only with more personality.
Alongside them were maple glazed carrots. Sweet, buttery, a little peppery, and cooked in two stages to soak up flavor before finishing in the air crisp basket. Even though they went a touch longer than planned, they ended up sweet and nicely carroty, adding a bright counterpoint to the richness of the roast and gravy.
Why This Woodfire English Sunday Roast Dinner Works
Every part of this meal had a role to play. The roast itself came out medium rare, tender, and herby with a crust that locked in all the flavor. The gravy, made from beef stock, mushrooms, garlic, butter, and a little cream at the end, tied everything together with richness. Yorkshire puddings gave it that traditional feel, even for someone like me who had never made them before. And the carrots added color and balance on the plate.
What really makes it work is that everything was done on the Woodfire. The roast smoked and seared there, the carrots got their time on the flat top and crisped in the basket, and even the popover tin fit for the puddings. Pulling off a whole spread like this on one cooker makes it even more fun.
When it came time to taste, the roast was spot-on. Medium rare and seasoned perfectly. The carrots were sweet and satisfying. The puddings were a surprise hit, crisp and fluffy, soaking up that gravy like champs. Altogether, it was as close as this American could get to pulling off a Sunday classic from across the pond.
In the end, it was about more than just beef and batter. It was about stepping out of the comfort zone and taking a viewer request seriously, even if it meant fumbling through a recipe I had never tried. The result looked and tasted like a full spread worth sharing. And for a first attempt, I was pretty proud. If you happen to be from the UK, you can let me know how close I came. But from where I was standing, this Woodfire English Sunday Roast Dinner checked all the boxes.
Ingredient and Equipment Links:
Use Dad's Affiliate Link & get your own Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect Outdoor Grill:
https://ninjakitchen.pxf.io/k0JNLN
Ninja Woodfire Grill Griddle:
https://amzn.to/3S2Dpnd
Smokin Pecans Pellets:
https://amzn.to/3LiZx9i
Raised Grates for Ninja Woodfire:
https://amzn.to/3LjweU2
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