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Steak and Kidney Pie Recipe

Steak and Kidney Pie

Rating 4-5 out of 5 - Most cooks definitely will make this recipe again
Graham

Recipe by  

Ah, the humble Steak and Kidney Pie; what can I say about it that has not already been said? I'm a big fan of the hearty English favourites such as Guinness Beef Stew, Rare Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, Sausage, Liver and Bacon Casserole etc. However, when I make Steak and Kidney Pie I make two alterations to the classic recipe...

First, I add the kidneys at the end, along with the mushrooms, since offal tends to toughen if overcooked. And second, I cook the meat a day ahead, so that I can easily remove and discard any fat that has risen to the top (you can make the pastry ahead of time too, if you want - just wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge).

      Preparation Time: 30 Minutes + waiting

      Cooking Time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes

Ingredients for Steak and Kidney Pie

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.
US Imperial Measurements  UK Imperial Measurements  Metric Measurements

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
to serve 4:
2 oz
plain flour (all purpose flour)
 
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1½ lb
Stewing Steak or Braising Steak (Chuck Steak)
2 tablespoons
butter
 
olive oil
1 large
onion
2 teaspoons
tomato purée (tomato paste)
1 pint
beef stock
1
bay leaf
2 teaspoons
thyme leaves
1 teaspoon
Worcestershire Sauce
4 oz
chestnut mushrooms
12 oz
veal (or lamb) kidney
FOR THE PASTRY
6 oz
butter
8 oz
plain flour (all purpose flour)
¼ teaspoon
salt
8 - 10 tablespoons
water
1
egg (for the glaze)

 

How to Cook Steak and Kidney Pie

  1. Mix the flour with a generous pinch of sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Trim any excess fat off the meat and cut into pieces about 1"-1¼" (2.5cm-3cm) across. Toss the meat in the seasoned flour, then place in a large sieve (strainer) and shake off any excess flour.
  2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan. Quickly fry half the steak chunks over a medium-to-high heat until browned all over. Set aside and repeat with the remaining meat, adding more oil and butter as necessary, until all the steak has been browned.
  3. Peel and chop the onion. Add a little more oil to the pan, reduce the heat, and fry the onion until softened and lightly golden. Add the tomato purée and stir for a couple more minutes. Pour in the stock and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Return the browned meat to the pan and add the bay leaf, thyme and Worcestershire sauce.
  4. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer gently for 2½-3 hours until the beef is fork tender. Trim the white core out of the kidney and chop the meat into large pieces - about 1" (2.5cm) across. Stir in the mushrooms and kidney, then turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaf and transfer the mixture to a 2½ - 2¾ pint (1.5 - 1.7 litre) pie dish.
  5. When cooled, place the dish in the fridge overnight. The next day take the dish from the fridge and use a spoon to remove any fat that has come to the surface.
  6. To make the pastry, place the butter in the freezer for 45 minutes. In a bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Dip the butter in the flour and grate (shred) coarsely into the bowl. Keep dipping it in the flour as you grate. Mix in the butter with a knife (or your hands) until evenly coated with flour. Stir in the water to form a dough and knead this into a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for one hour in the fridge.
  7. Preheat the oven to Mk 6 - 200ºF - 400ºC. While it is heating, roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface to about ¼" (5mm) thick and cut out a shape 2" (5cm) wider than the pie dish. Using the pastry trimmings, cut out 1" (2.5cm) wide strips for the edges of the dish. Brush the lip of the dish with water and press the strips of pastry on to it.
  8. Brush the strips with water and place the pastry crust over the top. Press down the edges to seal, then trim off any excess pastry on the sides. Use the blade of a knife to cut a few 1" (2.5cm) long slits in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape. Beat the egg and brush the pastry with it. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
  9. Traditionally, Steak and Kidney Pie is served with peas and Mashed Potatoes. However, I've found that a nice alternative to peas is Leek and Bacon Platter


Graham GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
If you're shy about making your own pastry, a 12oz (350g) packet or ready-made puff pastry will work just fine.
 
GRAHAM'S WINE RECOMMENDATION: GrahamMalbec like Les Hauts de Saint-Georges. Malbec-based wines are at their best as a match to grilled or stewed steak.
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Reviews of Steak and Kidney Pie

Rating 4 out of 5 - Many cooks will make this recipe again September 14 2014
I and my fussy eating males in the house loved this one. The recipe said to use lamb or veal kidney, but as I couldn't get either I used beef kidney and it worked well. Flavours are yummy.
(1 review)
 
Rating 4 out of 5 - Many cooks will make this recipe again May 22 2014
Very much like my Grandma's recipe, which was one of my favorite dishes that she made.She baked it in a large, deep aluminum pie dish, and would place an inverted cup in the middle of the pie dish before spooning in the filling. This held the top crust up and kept it from lying on the filling and getting soggy. I haven't had this in ages and now I have... very happy!!
(3 reviews)
 
Rating 4 out of 5 - Many cooks will make this recipe again August 28 2013
Delicious, I just used regular ox kidney which added a lovely flavour to the gravy along with half a bottle of Guinness. My husband is rather a fussy eater so I kept to the exact recipe and timings (except I cheated a little by using bought shortcrust pastry!) The filling was fantastic, boodles of taste, and a great reminder of how tasty some of our traditional recipes are. Will definitely be making this again, well worth the effort.
(4 reviews)
Rating 5 out of 5 - Many cooks will make this recipe again November 24 2012
Being from England I have had my fair share of steak and kidney pies. Now living in America however, i decided to give it a try. This pie, as we say, was the bees knees! It was incredible.I used Tetleys beer (look in publix or your local supermarket) but I reckon just about any beer will do. My gf was a bit wary about the kidneys so I put in more mushrooms and a bit less kidney (she's fine with them now she's eaten them). This is one of the best recipes I've come across. Thanks
(2 reviews)
 

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