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Steak and Kidney Pudding

by . Featured in HOW TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESS
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Introduction

I often double the quantities for the meat filling, then freeze half, so I'm only a defrost away from another pudding. Traditionally, oysters were added to steak and kidney pud; I thought a little oyster sauce might be an appropriate contemporary adaptation, and it was, rewardingly so. And I happened to find some beer called Oyster Stout which seemed entirely right for it too, but it's hardly essential: any stout in a storm...

I always cook the meat filling a day or two in advance: the flavours deepen wonderfully and the whole thing seems less of a performance.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

I often double the quantities for the meat filling, then freeze half, so I'm only a defrost away from another pudding. Traditionally, oysters were added to steak and kidney pud; I thought a little oyster sauce might be an appropriate contemporary adaptation, and it was, rewardingly so. And I happened to find some beer called Oyster Stout which seemed entirely right for it too, but it's hardly essential: any stout in a storm...

I always cook the meat filling a day or two in advance: the flavours deepen wonderfully and the whole thing seems less of a performance.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Steak and Kidney Pudding
Photo by Petrina Tinslay

Ingredients

Serves: 6 generously

Metric Cups

For the Filling

  • 2 tablespoons plain flour
  • ½ teaspoon English mustard powder
  • 500 grams stewing steak (cut into 2cm / ¾ inch pieces)
  • 250 grams lambs' kidneys (cut into chunks)
  • 25 grams butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 150 grams flat mushrooms (peeled and roughly chunked)
  • 150 millilitres beef stock
  • 150 millilitres stout, such as Guinness
  • 1 scant tablespoon oyster sauce

For the Suet Crust

  • 350 grams self-raising flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 175 grams suet
  • ½ teaspoon English mustard powder

For the Filling

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon English mustard powder
  • 1 pound beef stew meat (cut into 2cm / ¾ inch pieces)
  • 8 ounces lambs' kidneys (cut into chunks)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 2 cups portobello mushrooms (peeled and roughly chunked)
  • ⅔ cup beef broth
  • ⅔ cup stout, such as Guinness
  • 1 scant tablespoon oyster sauce

For the Suet Crust

  • 2¼ cups self-rising flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 14 tablespoons coarsely grated vegetable shortening (freeze overnight to make it easier to grate)
  • ½ teaspoon English mustard powder

Method

You will need a 1.7 litre / 3 pint plastic pudding basin with lid, both well buttered.

  1. The 2 hours of steaming — which involves little activity on your part — seems less of a consideration when separated from the pudding's preparation. So, preheat the oven to 140ºC/120ºC Fan/gas mark 1/275ºF, season the 2 tablespoons of flour with salt, pepper and the mustard powder, and put it into a plastic bag along with the steak and kidney. Seal it, and toss everything about to get an even coating of flour.
  2. Warm the butter and oil in a casserole and brown the meat (including the kidney) in batches, removing each to a dish. Fry the onion in the pan, then add the mushrooms and fry them briefly, adding more oil if you need it. Put all the meat back into the casserole and over a medium heat add the stock, stout and oyster sauce. Bring it to the boil, scraping any floury bits off the bottom. Cover with a lid and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. When it's cooked, check the seasoning and put aside to cool.
  3. About 2½-3 hours before you want to eat, fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. When it begins to boil, start making the pastry, and not before. Mix the flour, salt, suet and mustard powder in a large bowl; then, stirring with a wooden spoon, add enough cold water to make a firm dough.
  4. Roll out on a floured surface into a large circle, approximately 5mm / one-eighth of an inch thick, and cut away a quarter segment from the circle to use later as the lid. Ease the three-quarter circle of pastry into your buttered pudding basin; there should be about 3cm / 1 inch of overhang. Spoon the cold filling in, not letting it come up higher than about 2cm / 1 inch below the rim. Roll out the quarter segment into a small circle to fit the top and seal it with the overhanging edges. Clip on the basin's buttered lid, immerse it in water or place it in a steamer over water and leave it there for 2 hours, remembering to check water levels occasionally.
  5. Turn the pudding out onto a plate with a good lip, or some sort of shallow bowl: there is a wonderful moment when, like a bulldozed building, your pudding begins to crack and crumple and then cascades downwards; you need to make sure every thick oozy bit of stout, beefy liquid is safely contained.

You will need a 1.7 litre / 3 pint plastic pudding basin with lid, both well buttered.

  1. The 2 hours of steaming — which involves little activity on your part — seems less of a consideration when separated from the pudding's preparation. So, preheat the oven to 140ºC/120ºC Fan/gas mark 1/275ºF, season the 2 tablespoons of flour with salt, pepper and the mustard powder, and put it into a plastic bag along with the steak and kidney. Seal it, and toss everything about to get an even coating of flour.
  2. Warm the butter and oil in a casserole and brown the meat (including the kidney) in batches, removing each to a dish. Fry the onion in the pan, then add the mushrooms and fry them briefly, adding more oil if you need it. Put all the meat back into the casserole and over a medium heat add the stock, stout and oyster sauce. Bring it to the boil, scraping any floury bits off the bottom. Cover with a lid and cook in the preheated oven for 1½ hours. When it's cooked, check the seasoning and put aside to cool.
  3. About 2½-3 hours before you want to eat, fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. When it begins to boil, start making the pastry, and not before. Mix the flour, salt, coarsely grated vegetable shortening (freeze overnight to make it easier to grate) and mustard powder in a large bowl; then, stirring with a wooden spoon, add enough cold water to make a firm dough.
  4. Roll out on a floured surface into a large circle, approximately 5mm / one-eighth of an inch thick, and cut away a quarter segment from the circle to use later as the lid. Ease the three-quarter circle of pastry into your buttered pudding basin; there should be about 3cm / 1 inch of overhang. Spoon the cold filling in, not letting it come up higher than about 2cm / 1 inch below the rim. Roll out the quarter segment into a small circle to fit the top and seal it with the overhanging edges. Clip on the basin's buttered lid, immerse it in water or place it in a steamer over water and leave it there for 2 hours, remembering to check water levels occasionally.
  5. Turn the pudding out onto a plate with a good lip, or some sort of shallow bowl: there is a wonderful moment when, like a bulldozed building, your pudding begins to crack and crumple and then cascades downwards; you need to make sure every thick oozy bit of stout, beefy liquid is safely contained.

Tell us what you think

What 4 Others have said

  • So much quicker than my Mother's recipe. Family loved it more than hers! Please don't tell her!

    Posted by Busybumble on 18th March 2018
  • Love this version of my mum's favourite recipe which took hours to steam as the steak was not pre cooked. The extra ingredients are so tasty and went down a storm with the family.

    Posted by Maggie1401 on 12th November 2015
  • My first attempt at a steam pudding, it went well and tasted delicious. The quantity of meat sauce was enough for 2 , 1.5 pint puddings. Divided the mixture into 2 and froze one half. I halved the suet pastry which was sufficient for 1 pudding. Not as difficult as I thought a pudding would be.

    Posted by Betsy165 on 4th February 2014
  • Without a doubt the best tasting Steak & Kidney Pudding I have made, thanks N.

    Posted by wally3178 on 4th October 2013
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