Steamed puddings - steak and kidney filling

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 cups Round Steak, diced
1 cup Beef kidney, cooked\\diced
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper
1½ cup All-purpose flour
½ cup Ground suet to taste
1 teaspoon Celery salt
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Dark Soya sauce
1 teaspoon White pepper

Directions

FILLING

PASTRY

1. Saute kidney, after trimming off membrane and fat, in frying pan lubricrated with a little oil and butter. When cooked, allow to sit to cool out of the pan. Reserve the pan and juices. Dice the round steak [other steak cuts may be used, including stew beef]. Steak should be diced to desired cube size. Dice the kidney slightly finer than the beef [smaller bits and pieces are preferrable]. Add the beef and the filling spices to the skillet. Cook thoroughly.

2. Discard oils that have been extracted during the cooking process.

Allow meat to become cold. Using warm or hot meat will adversely effect the pastry shell.

3. Thoroughly mix all-purpose flour with suet. Do not use a substitute for the suet - the results will not be acceptable. If the suet is an extremely fine grind (powdery) use slightly less. The consistency should be similar to that used in making Mince-meat. A food processor may be utilized in making the dough.

4. Add cold water to the mixture, a little at a time. Continue to blend together. A pea-sized consistency will be achieved then dough will form into a ball. Allow to stand for 5-10 mins.

5. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry ball to obtain a sheet approx ¼" thick. Make (or find) a circular template that will gauge the proper amount of pastry to fit into your pudding form.

Note: pudding forms come in a variety of sizes. Anything that will stand up

to being steamed, is approximately the size and shape of a coffee mug, and has a lid, would be appropriate. Heat-resistent plastic steaming cups with snap on covers are best.

6. Use the template to cut 4 pastry shells from the sheet. Gently press these shells into the steaming cups so as to cover the bottom and sides. Pleat where necessary to follow curve of the cup and allow pastry to hang over the sides at the top.

6. Place approx ¼ of the meat filling into each cup. Press the meat down slightly in each cup so as to fill to within ¼ in. of the top.

A Tablespoon of a brown gravy may be added to each cup if the meat is particularly dry.

7. Re-work remaining pastry. Cut circles of dough slightly smaller than the diameter of the snap on lid. This forms the cap of the pastry shell. Joined to the pastry shell to the cap by pressed the pastry together around the circumference and folding in the hanging edges. A slightly thick cap is desired - although great excess should be trimmed away. Snap on the lid, and place each steamed pudding into the steaming device that you intend to use.

8. Steam for 25-30 minutes. Check at 20 min. to determine degree of progress. The pastry should take on a slightly shiney look and be firm to the touch when done. Puddings will stand up to overcooking.

9. Serve with a rich beef gravy, chips (french-fries), and peas.

Reconstituted dried green peas is the traditional vegetable.

Footnote: This recipe orginally contained diced beef and kidney as the meat filling. Since few people seem to appreciate the kidney ingredient, and considering that minced beef (hamburger meat) is an economical alternative, this recipe may be modified accordingly.

The Steak and Kidney Pudding is a widely recognized British dish.

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