Steak and Kidney Pudding a Family Favourite

At least once a fortnight on a Saturday, my late mother would go into the kitchen and prepare the breakfasts for us, but what was different was that today was baking day, this was also just after our trip to the market, when we had stocked up on meat, as well as some of the seasonal vegetables.

For me, being the youngest by a couple of years was the designated runner. My late dad would have to take down the mixers, bowls and assorted odds and ends that was required.I would be dispatched to the dairy, for the fresh milk and butter, farm if available. To the grocer for the odds of flour baking powder and other essentials that was required. The bonus from this would be that I would be able to scrape the bowls, a task that was not too onerous.

With he shopping done we would get started.

A winter meal, full of great flavours, also another of those comfort foods for eating with good company, in front of the fireplace with a glass of good red wine.

Steak and Kidney Filling

• 1Kg rump steak (budget beater - 1kg Stewing steak, or use 1kg lean chuck meat)
• 500g of ox kidney use lamb kidneys if cheaper
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 large chopped onion
• 90g butter
• 300ml of red wine
• 300ml of hot water with 1 tablespoon of Bovril or Marmite dissolved into it
• 250g of slice mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon mixed herbs
• Bouquet Garni

Prepare the filling

Mix the flour and the mixed herbs together until well blended.

Cube the steak into 2cm cubes.

Wash and clean the kidneys, then cut them into slices, be careful to remove the gristle and fat from both the steak and the kidney.

Dredge the steak and kidney mix with flour so that they are entirely coated.

In a deep saucepan, I prefer a cast iron pot with a diameter base for this.

Heat up two thirds of the butter.

Fry the sliced onion until it is browned, then remove from the pot and set it aside.

Add the remaining butter and fry up the mushrooms until they are cooked, then set aside with the onions

Add the meat a little at a time and brown it on all sides, set this aside with the onions and mushrooms, until all the meat is browned

Once all ingredients browned reduce the heat and add the wine and water mix, as soon as it starts to simmer.

Add the meat, mushrooms bouquet garni, and onions, give a good stir, cover and let it simmer for an hour.

After an hour check if the meat is nearly cooked, if not let it cook for another half hour.

Once the meat is ready, check the sauce that it is not to thin but nice and thick. Adjust thickness.

Remove the Bouquet garni and then let it cool down to room temperature.

Ingredients

• 300g of flour
• 60ml baking powder
• 5ml salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 5ml dried thyme
• 150g chopped suet
• Cold Water
• 25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

Prepare the suet pastry

Cop the suet very fine

Mix the all the dry ingredients into a large bowl, use your hands to lift and fold the suet evenly and thoroughly in the flour.

Make a well with a wooden spoon in the flour.

Add the lemon juice to the cold water

Pour some of the water into the flour and mix it well to make firm dough.

Use as little water as possible.

Once mixed dust your work surface with enough flour, and dust your rolling pin.

Make a sausage of the dough and cut off a quarter of it and place to one side.

Roll out the larger of the two dough balls into a large circle with the dough, make sure that is evenly thick.

Smear a 1 ½ litre pudding bowl with a bit of lard or butter.

Place the circle of dough into the bowl and press it firmly against the base and sides, allowing at least a 2 ½ cm overlap of dough over the bowl.

Roll the other sausage of dough into a circle that will fit over the top of the bowl.

Putting it all together

• Give the cooled down meat mixture a good stir, and then spoon the mixture into the crust lined bowl.
• Do not fill to the very top, allow about 2 1/2cm at the top.
• Wet all the edges with water.Place the lid on top of the meat mixture and press the edges of the over lap from the lined dough together firmly to make a seal.
• There should still be a gap between the top of the dough and the rim of the bowl.
• Cut some foil into a circle 5cm wider than the outer rim of the bowl.
• Place on top of the bowl and tie it down with some string, make a string handle so that it can be moved easily in and out of the steamer.
• Place a trivet into a pot wide enough to allow the pudding bowl in.
• Bring the water to a boil
• Lower the pudding into the pot
• The water should come about two thirds of the way up the sides of the bowl, adjust with boiling water.
• Cover and let boil for 2 hours.
• Check the level of the water and always top up with boiling water
• Make a gravy with any, if any, of the meat mixture that was left over after filling the pie, alternativly make a brown sauce.

Serve with steamed carrots, zucchini and boiled potatoes, and any of the added gravy