How To Make Steak And Kidney Pie

Step 1: You will need:

Step 2: Preheat the oven

Firstly, set the oven to 170ºC (325ºF/ gas mark 3).

Step 3: Brown the meat

Place the saucepan over a high heat and allow to warm through. When hot add some of the oil. When that becomes hot, add the beef. You may have to cook it in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Season with salt and pepper and after a minute or so, give it a good stir and brown on all sides. Take your time browning the meat as it really does add a stronger depth of flavour. Once browned, remove and place onto a tray. Add the second batch and season with salt and pepper, as before. Add a little more oil, as needed. When browned, remove and put the meat alongside the first batch. Add the third and final batch. Season once more, allow to brown and remove.

Step 4: Brown the kidneys and vegetables

Add more oil and then the kidneys. Stir them in and season with salt and pepper. Let them brown then remove from the pan and place them with the meat. Add the onions and more oil, if needed. As they begin to brown add the carrots and the mushrooms. Cook them together a few minutes.

Step 5: Cook the meat

Return the meat and kidneys back to the saucepan and give it a quick stir. Add the flour and thyme. Mix it together. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the stock and stir them in. Bring it to a simmer. Once simmering, cover it with a pan lid. Place the pan into the oven for 2 to 2.5 hours.

Step 6: Make the pastry

Into a bowl spoon in the flour, salt, lard and the butter. With your fingertips combine the mix until the ingredients begin to take on the consistency of coarse salt. Add half of the water. Add more whenever the pastry needs it. Mix it for one minute more. Once it comes together, stop kneading it and shape it into a ball.
Take a sheet of cling film and place it on the table. Flatten the dough and wrap it up in the film. Place it to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Step 7: Cool the meat

Once the meat filling has finished cooking, remove it from the oven. Allow the meat to cool down to room temperature but increase the oven temperature to 220ºC (425ºF/ gas mark 7), in preparation for cooking the pies.

Step 8: Roll out the dough

Sprinkle some flour onto your work area. Dust the chilled dough with flour. Begin to roll the dough out into a large sheet, less than half a centimetre in thickness. Keep moving the sheet around in the flour to avoid it sticking to the table.

Step 9: Make the pastry tops

Place a ramekin upside down onto the pastry. With a sharp knife, cut around it but leave an extra centimetre wider. Make 4 pastry circles. Cut a small round hole in the centre of each one. Cut out 4 pastry leaves as decoration out of the left over pastry.

Step 10: Make the pies

Generously spoon in the meat filling to the top of each ramekin. Remove the excess pastry from the pastry toppings and leaves. Brush the rim of each dish with a little of the egg wash. Place a pastry top over each of the pie fillings. Press the pastry down over the edges of each rim, quite firmly. Brush some egg wash over the whole of the top. Place a leaf next to each of one of the holes and brush with the egg wash.

Step 11: Bake the pies

Transfer them into the preheated oven. Bake for roughly 25 minutes. When the pastry has puffed up and is a dark golden brown, remove from the oven.

Step 12: Serve

Let them cool for about 10 minutes before you serve. They go well with chips and mashed potato.