M L
THE BUTCHERS CUT
STEAK & KIDNEY PUDDING
Ingredients
• 2 sliced onions
• 1 large carrot , diced
• 3 sticks celery , sliced
• White part of 1 leek finely diced
• 500g beef stewing steak
• 250g ox kidney
• 1 can of stout
• 250ml beef stock
For the pastry
• 400g self raising flour
• 200g beef suet or beef dripping grated
Method
• Start by browning off the beef and kidney in a pan . Season as you go with salt and pepper . Once the meat is coloured remove to one side and fry the chopped veg in some butter until soft . Place the meat back in the pan and add your stout and beef stock . Bring it all up to a simmer and cook for about an hour stirring occasionally . The liquid should reduce down but you can thicken this with a little flour and water to get the required pie filling consistency . I like mine to be quite thick so it holds up a bit when it ' s cut into . Make sure you check for seasoning , when you ' re happy set aside to cool a bit and get on with the pastry .
• Simply mix the suet and flour together , season with salt and pepper . You could mix a bit of dried or freshly chopped herbs . Bring the mixture together with some cold water . You don ’ t need a lot so just add a little at a time mixing well as you go . When you have a nice firm dough that isn ’ t sticky , place to one side to rest for about 20 minutes .
• It is essential to get organised with the bowl your pie will sit in and the pan you will cook in . The bowl will be the shape and size of your pie but it must fit in a pan large enough for it to sit in as it will need to be steamed . You will also need a small heat proof plate or tray for the bottom of the pan to elevate the pudding bowl off the bottom of the pan .
• Now the pastry has rested , divide into two pieces . A large piece for the base and a small piece for the lid . 3 / 4 for the base and 1 / 4 for the lid is about right . With a floured surface , pin out the large piece and line the pudding bowl ensuring you grease the sides of the bowl generously with butter before hand . Don ’ t worry if it ' s not perfect if you have any cracks or holes just dampen the area with a touch of water and use any extra bits to fill the gaps . Once you are happy with the base and it is evenly covered with no holes of cracks carefully add your filling . Now dampen the edges of the base , pin out the lids and using your fingers pinch the edges to join it all together .
• Place some greaseproof paper over the top ( not too tightly as it will expand slightly ) then as extra protection do the same with some foil . Tie a piece of string around the rim tightly this will stop the water from getting in and giving you a soggy pudding . Although it can be a bit fiddly doing this part it ' s worth taking the time to get it right as it will be the difference to complete success and a soggy mess !
• Now you are ready to steam your pudding . Placing your heatproof plate at the bottom of a large saucepan and carefully lower the pudding of top . Using boiling water out of the kettle put the water in the pan avoiding filling it so high that it covers the pie . About two thirds up the pudding bowl will do . Ideally you will have a tight fitting lid for the pan , if this is not the case use some foil for the lid as tightly as you can to keep the steam inside . Place the pan on a low simmer for about two hours . Keep an eye on the water level as it may need topping up a couple of times during the steaming process .
• Once ready I would advise leaving to rest until you are able to lift it out without burning yourself .
• Serve with buttery mash and greens , delicious !
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