Best Steak & Kidney Pudding
Submitted by rjstorlie
Steak and kidney pudding, the British pub classic: cubes of round steak and kidney slow-braised with onions, Worcestershire and herbs into a rich gravy, then topped with flaky pastry and baked golden. Hearty old-country comfort.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
2½ hrsSteak and kidney is one of Britain’s great cold-weather comforts, and this version bakes it under a flaky pastry lid. Cubes of round beef steak and kidney are browned, then braised low and slow with onions, Worcestershire and herbs until everything turns meltingly tender.
The kidney is what makes it more than a beef pie. It lends a deep, faintly mineral savoriness that gives the gravy real backbone, the flavor that defines a proper steak and kidney pudding.
Both cuts need time. Round steak is lean and tough, and kidney firms up if rushed, so a gentle hour-and-a-half braise is what coaxes them soft. To thicken the sauce, you use a beurre manie, a paste of butter and flour dropped in as small pellets and stirred in. It melts smoothly without a single lump.
Crown it with a homemade butter pastry, slash the top to vent steam, and bake until deep golden. Serve with mash and peas, the proper way.
Chef Tips
- Brown the meat and kidney well before braising. That deep color is the foundation of a rich gravy.
- Keep the braise at a bare simmer over very low heat. Boiling toughens both the steak and the kidney.
- Drop the beurre manie in small pellets and stir as it melts, so the gravy thickens evenly with no lumps.
Variations
- Add sliced mushrooms to the braise for an earthy, classic addition.
- Splash in a little stout or red wine with the water for a deeper, richer gravy.
- Skip the pastry and serve it as a stew over mashed potatoes.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the kidney, remove membranes and fat, and cut kidney in 1 inch cubes.
Cube the steak into 1 inch cubes. Melt the butter in a heavy pot.
Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until well browned. Add the steak and kidneys.
When the meat is browned on all sides, pour on 2 cups of boiling water, Worcester, salt, and pepper.
Cove and cook over a very low heat for 1½ hours, or until the steak is tender.
Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Blend the butter with the flour to make a beurre manie. Drop small pellets of this paste into the sauce and stir to thicken it.
Put meat and sauce into a deep pie plate and sprinkle with parsley.
If you wish to use a pastry topping, roll out the dough and cover the pie plate.
Slash the top, crimp the edges, and bake about 30 minutes, or until well browned.
Pastry:
Mix the flour and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender.
Combine lightly only until the mixture resembles coarse meal or very tine peas; its texture will not be uniform but will contain crumbs and small bits and pieces.
Sprinkle water over the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork, using only enough water so that the pastry will hold together when pressed gently into a ball.
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