» Steak and Kidney Pudding

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 150 mins
Difficulty: Moderate
Serves: 4 people

Meal course: Main Course
Posted by: mark
Posted on: April 1, 2016

1 Lg.: Onion - Yellow
3 oz: Butter
1 1/4 lb: Beef - Chuck
1/2 lb: Kidneys - Veal
1/3 Cup: Flour - All Purpose
1 1/2 Cup: Mushrooms - White
1 Tbsp: Parsley - Dried
1 Med.: Bay Leaf
1 Pinch: Salt
1 Pinch: Pepper - Ground Black
1 Tbsp: Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 Cup: Broth - Beef
2 Tbsp: Tomato Puree
0 FOR THE: PASTRY
2 Cup: Flour - All Purpose
2 tsp: Baking Powder
1 Cup: Suet - Shredded
1 Pinch: Salt
1 Pinch: Pepper - Ground Black
6 Tbsp: Water

This British steamed pudding (not to be confused with Steak and Kidney Pie which is baked) is traditionally filled with raw meat and steamed for 4 hours. Such a long cooking time tends to make the pastry heavy and a little on the soggy side so I prefer to cook the meat ahead of time then steam the pudding for around 90 minutes which makes for a much lighter pastry and has the added benefit of allowing me to prepare the filling a day or two in advance if desired.

Traditionally, a Steak and Kidney pudding is served directly from the dish in which it was cooked, which is wrapped with a clean cloth or white napkin, and accompanied by Brussels Sprouts and new potatoes.

Fry the Onion in the butter until browned. Set aside.
Remove any fat or gristle from the steak and kidneys then toss them in the seasoned flour. Sauté lightly in the butter then transfer to an ovenproof dish.
Fry the mushrooms for 2 minutes then add to the sautéed meats.
Add the onions (from step 1), parsley and bay leaf to the ovenproof dish then season everything well with salt and pepper.
Mix the Stock/Broth with the Worcestershire sauce and tomato puree then pour over the meat and other ingredients in the ovenproof dish.
Cover and simmer in a 300°F oven for one hour or until the meat is just tender.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. If the gravy is too thin you can thicken with a little corn starch or reduce it by boiling over a high heat until it reaches the desired consistency.
TO PREPARE THE SUET PASTRY: 1. Combine the flour, baking powder and suet in a bowl together with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. 2. When the mixture has the texture of coarse breadcrumbs make a well in the center and add 6 Tablespoons of cold water. 3. Mix to a soft dough, kneading as little as possible. If the dough is too crumbly, add a little more water but don't overdo it as the dough should be on the dry side. 4. Form the dough into a ball, place on a lightly floured surface
Roll 2/3 of the dough and use it to line an English pudding bowl that holds approximately 7 cups or a pudding steamer (I use a 1 liter / 1 1/2 pint pudding steamer with locking lid). Push the pastry down with your fingers and work it around the sides so it fits neatly and reaches over the top of the bowl. Do NOT trim the pastry at this point; allow it to hang over the top.
Place the meat filling in the bowl.
Roll out the remaining 1/3 of the pastry so it will fit over the top of the bowl.
Moisten the edges to the pudding top with water so it sticks properly then crimp it down with a fork so it is sealed very tightly.
Trim off any excess pastry then cover the top of the pudding with a loose fitting piece of foil (or simply put the locking lid on if using a pudding steamer and don't use any foil). Make a pleat in the foil so there will be room for the pastry to rise as it cooks then tie it to the bowl as tightly as possible. Remember, any steam that gets in will make the pastry soggy!
Place the bowl on a steamer rack in a pot of boiling water. The water should reach about half way up the basin.
Make sure the water is boiling then cover the pot tightly and reduce the heat to low, just warm enough to maintain a gentle simmer.
Steam the pudding for 1 1/2 hours (or 4 hours if you used raw meat) checking from time to time to ensure the water holds its level and continues to boil gently. If the water level begins to drop, add more BOILING water to top it up.
TO SERVE: Remove the bowl/pudding steamer from the pot. Remove the foil and dry off the outside being careful not to burn yourself. Wrap a clean white cloth or white napkin around the bowl and tie a knot.
Use a spoon (not a knife) to serve the pudding directly from the dish. Serve with potatoes and vegetables of your choice, traditionally you would server with new potatoes and sprouts.