Food & Drink

Steak And Kidney Pudding

Steak and Kidney Pudding is a classic English dish, and the ultimate comfort food. The dish'll serve six people. It's relatively easy to prep, but cooks gently over several hours. Enlarge

Steak And Kidney Pudding

Steak and Kidney Pudding is a classic English dish, and the ultimate comfort food. The dish'll serve six people. It's relatively easy to prep, but cooks gently over several hours.

Prep:
15m
Cook:
3h:30m
Total:
3h:45m
Serves:
6

Step 1: You will need

  • 50 g butter or beef dripping
  • 900 g lean chuck or rump steak, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm cubes
  • 350 g ox kidney, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm cubes
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 350 g flat cap or Portobello mushrooms, halved and sliced
  • 25 g plain flour
  • 300 ml stout or brown ale
  • 300 ml good, hot beef stock
  • 30 ml Worcestershire or brown sauce
  • 1 small sachet bouquet garni
  • 350 g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 180 g shredded beef suet (or fresh)
  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
  • 300 ml ice-cold water
  • 25 g butter

Step 2: Prepare the meat

In a large casserole dish heat the butter or dripping and cook the beef for 4-5 minutes, in batches until brown on all sides. Add the kidney, onions and mushrooms (if used) and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stout or brown ale, stock, Worcestershire or brown sauce and bouquet garni. Season. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cover and cook for 1-1½ hours until the meat is tender. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes and remove the bouquet garnish. If you have time prepare the meat filling the day before and store in the refrigerator until required.

Step 3: Pastry

Meanwhile, prepare the pastry: In a large bowl sift together the flour and baking powder. Season. Add the suet and parsley and mix into the flour. When evenly blended add enough water to bind to a soft, pliable dough. Cover and leave to rest for about 20 minutes.

Step 4: Prepare the dish

Grease a 1.3L/3pint heatproof pudding basin with the butter. Take a quarter of the pastry for the lid and set aside. Roll out the remaining pastry and line the pudding basin, leaving at least 1cm ½inch of the pastry hanging over the edge of the basin.
Spoon the cooled meat filling into the basin and brush the edges of the pastry with water, then roll out the remaining pastry to cover the top. Place on top of the basin and press down well to seal.
Cover the basin with a double layer of greased foil or greaseproof paper, pleated in the middle (the pleats will allow the pudding to expand during cooking) and tie with string, making a little handle with extra string at each side, so you can lift the pudding out of the saucepan or steamer.

Step 5: Cook

Steam the pudding on an upturned, heatproof plate or saucer in a large covered saucepan filled with hot water or a steamer for 2 hours, checking the water level regularly.

Step 6: Serve

Remove the string and foil or paper. Serve the pudding either by spooning portions from the pudding basin or after 20 minutes upturn the whole pudding onto a plate and serve with creamy mashed potatoes and peas.