Steak And Ale Pudding Recipes

STEAK AND KIDNEY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170ºC/350ºF/Gas 3.
• Rinse the kidneys and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut the kidneys, in half, snip out the white cores and cut the kidneys into roughly 1.5cm/¾in pieces.
• Place the cubes of steak into a large, strong plastic bag and the kidney pieces into another bag. Divide the flour between the two bags, then season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Tie the ends of the bags and shake until the steak and kidneys are thoroughly coated in the seasoned flour.
• Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the steak, in batches, over a medium heat, adding extra oil as needed, until the steak is well-browned all over. Remove the steak from the frying pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a flameproof casserole.
• Return the frying pan to the heat and repeat the process with the kidneys, frying on both sides until well-browned. Remove the kidneys from the frying pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to the casserole.
• Return the frying pan to the heat, add the remaining oil, then add the onion. Cook the onion over a low heat, stirring often, for five minutes, or until softened. Stir the cooked onion into the casserole with the beef and kidneys.
• Deglaze the frying pan with the wine, bringing it to the boil while stirring to lift all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the mixture immediately over the beef, kidneys and onion.
• Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks and add them to the casserole. Stir in the bay leaf, beef stock and tomato purée.
• Bring the beef mixture to the boil. Remove three ladlefuls of the sauce for gravy and set aside in a small pan to cool. When cooled, set it aside in the fridge for use as gravy.
• Cover the casserole and transfer to the oven to cook for 1½-2 hours, or until the beef is tender (stir the mixture halfway through cooking).
• Return the casserole to the hob and simmer the mixture for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. When the sauce is thick enough, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, for the suet pastry, put the flour, suet and salt into a large bowl and mix until well combined.
• Stir in enough water to make a soft dough - you'll probably need around 300ml/10½fl oz of water. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and bring it together to form a ball. Knead the dough lightly, then remove a generous quarter of the dough to make a lid for the pudding and set aside. Roll out the remaining pastry into a rough 5cm/10in circle (the size of an average dinner plate). It should be about 1cm/¼in thick.
• Butter a 1.5 litre/2 pint 12¾fl oz pudding basin and line it with the pastry. The pastry should reach 1cm/¼in above the top of the dish. Press the pastry against the sides of the basin and trim neatly.
• Spoon the steak and kidney mixture into the pastry-lined pudding basin. Brush the rim of the pastry with water. Roll the remaining pastry into a circle just large enough to sit on top of the pudding dish and place it over the filling. Trim into place and press the edges together well to seal.
• Cover the dish with a large circle of baking parchment, with a pleat in the middle to allow for expansion. Cover the parchment with a circle of aluminium foil, again with a pleat. Secure both covers tightly with string. Create a carrying handle by tying the excess string across the top of the basin - this will help you lift the pudding out of the pan after it's cooked.
• Place the pudding onto an upturned saucer or small trivet in a large, deep saucepan and add enough just-boiled water to come halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and place on the hob over a medium heat. Steam the pudding in simmering water for 2½ hours, adding more water as necessary.
• When the pudding is cooked through, turn off the heat and carefully lift the basin from the water. Let the pudding stand for five minutes.
• Heat the reserved gravy on the hob, stirring, until the gravy is bubbling and heated through. Strain through a small sieve into a warmed jug.
• Cut the string, foil and paper off the pudding basin. Run a blunt-ended knife around the inside of the pudding basin to loosen the sides of the pudding and invert it onto a deep plate. Serve in generous wedges with hot gravy.

STEAK AND ALE PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions and mushrooms until golden, then scoop out. Toss the steak in the seasoned flour and fry until browned (you might need a drop more oil). Add back the onions and mushrooms and add the tomato purée, brown ale and thyme, stirring them together thoroughly. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours before leaving to cool.
• To make the pastry, put the flour, suet, ½ tsp salt and a good grind of pepper in a bowl. Gradually mix in 150ml cold water with a dinner knife until it makes a dough.
• Bring together into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Roll the suet pastry out to a circle about 1cm thick and cut a quarter out of the circle and keep for the top. Use the rest of the pastry to line a well-buttered 1 litre pudding basin crimping the ends together.
• Fill the lined basin with the steak mix then re-roll the leftover pastry to make a lid. Crimp the edges together to seal.
• Lay a sheet of buttered baking paper on top of a sheet of foil, fold a pleat in the middle and smooth down to sharpen the pleat.
• Put the double sheet on top of the pudding baking paper-side down and mould to the top of the basin with your hands.
• Tie with string under the rim of the basin and tie a handle to make it easier to move.
• Trim any excess foil then put in a steamer or on an upturned saucer in a large pan and pour boiling water to halfway up the sides of the bowl. Steam for 2 hours keeping an eye on the water level. To serve, unwrap then carefully turn out onto a serving plate.

TRADITIONAL STEAK AND KIDNEY PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Heat a large casserole dish on the stove, add the drippings and heat until slightly smoking. Add the beef cubes and the kidney, stir well until all the meat is browned. Add the onion , carrots, and stir again.
• Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetables and stir thoroughly.
• Add the stock, red wine, bay leaf , parsley, and tomato puree. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Place in the hot oven and cook for 1 hour.
• Remove the casserole from the oven, season with salt and pepper to taste, and leave it to cool.
• Make the pastry. Place the flour, baking powder , and salt into a baking bowl. Add the suet and rub into the flour. Add enough cold water to form a stiff, slightly sticky dough. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
• Grease a 2-pint pudding basin with the butter. Divide the pastry into 2/3 and 1/3 parts and roll the larger piece of dough into a circle large enough to line the basin with an extra 1/2" border. Dust your hands with a little flour then carefully line the basin with the dough.
• Add the meat mixture and roll the remaining dough into a circle large enough to make a lid. Wet the overhanging lip of the basin with cold water, lay the lid on top and press firmly around the edge to seal.
• Cover the basin with two circles of greaseproof paper secured with kitchen string.
• Steam over rapidly boiling water for 2 hours. Check frequently to make sure water has not boiled dry. Top up with boiling water as needed.
• Remove the pudding from the steamer, remove the greaseproof paper, and serve.

BEEF, ALE & PARSNIP PUDDING

Steps:

• Heat a large pan and cook the onion and lardons together for 5 mins until golden. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the oil to the pan, dust the beef with the flour, then evenly brown over a high heat.
• Add the parsnips, ale, stock, jelly, thyme and lardon mixture to the pan. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 1½ hrs until the meat is tender.
• Generously butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin. To make the pastry, mix together the flour, mustard powder, suet and ½ tsp table salt. Add enough cold water, about 150ml, to make a soft dough. Remove one-quarter of the dough and set to one side. On a heavily floured surface, roll out the remaining dough to make a large round, big enough to line the basin.
• Carefully lay the pastry in the basin (aim to have 1cm of pastry overhanging the rim), then press the edges of the join together to seal. Roll out the remaining one-quarter into a circle big enough to cover the top.
• Pour off the cooking liquid from the filling into a small pan and set aside. Discard the thyme stalks. Spoon the filling into the lined basin and pour over 100ml of the cooking liquid. Fold over the overhanging pastry and brush with water. Place the lid on top, pressing firmly around the edges to seal.
• Butter a sheet of baking parchment, fold in a large pleat and lay, butter-side down, on top of the pudding. Cover with a pleated layer of foil and finally tie with string, making a loop for the handle so you can lift the pudding easily.
• Sit a small trivet or a large cookie cutter in the bottom of a deep saucepan that's big enough to take the basin easily. Half-fill the pan with water and bring to the boil. Lower in the pudding, cover and simmer for 2 hrs, topping up with boiling water when necessary.
• Reheat the cooking liquid, bubbling it down a little so it reduces into a tasty gravy. Carefully lift out the pudding. Run a knife around the rim, then turn out and serve with gravy and greens, if you like.

STEAK & KIDNEY PUDDING

Steps:

• Melt 1 1/2 tbsp of the dripping in a large, non-stick pan. Fry the onions, carrot and bay leaves for 15 mins, stirring frequently, until golden.
• Mix the flour, mustard powder and some seasoning in a large bowl, then toss in the steak and kidneys until they are coated. Remove the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining dripping to the pan and fry the meat until browned.
• Stir the stout into the remaining flour left in the bowl, then pour into the pan of meat with the stock, and stir over the heat until thickened to a gravy. Return the vegetables to the pan, cover tightly and simmer for 1 hr 15 mins-1 hr 30 mins, stirring frequently, so that the flour in the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. If necessary, add a drop or two of water to loosen the consistency, but not too much as you want a thick gravy. The meat won't be completely tender, but it will cook further in the pudding. Set aside to cool or chill overnight.
• To make the suet pastry, put the flour, baking powder and suet in a bowl with 1/2 tsp salt. Pour in 150ml cold water and stir with a round-bladed knife to bring the mixture together as a dough. Tip onto a lightly floured surface, knead briefly until smooth, then cut off 1/4 and set aside.
• Very generously grease a 1.2-litre pudding basin. Roll out the biggest piece of dough to a circle large enough to line the inside of the basin right up to the rim. Press the pastry into the basin so that it is an even thickness, then spoon in the steak & kidney mixture. Roll out the remaining pastry to make a round to fit as a lid on top of the basin. Brush round the edge with water, then place on top of the filling, wetted-side down, and seal all the way round with the sides to enclose.
• Cover the basin with a double layer of greased baking parchment and foil, pleating them first to allow for expansion (alternatively, use muslin). Then tie with string, adding a string handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan.
• Put an upturned heatproof saucer in the base of a large pan and put the pudding basin on top. Pour in boiling water from the kettle to come 3/4 up the side of the basin, then cover the pan tightly with a lid. If you can't close the pan, cover tightly with foil instead and leave to simmer for 2 hrs over a low heat. If you need to, top with more boiling water, but if the seal is tight, this shouldn't be required.
• Remove the pudding from the pan and leave to settle for 5 mins, then turn out onto a plate, scatter with parsley (if you like), and serve with mash and greens.

STEAK AND ALE PUDDING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5. Trim the beef of any tough bits of gristle but leave the fat. Cut the beef into cubes (roughly 3cm), then put in a strong plastic bag. Add the flour, flaked sea salt and black pepper. Tie the end in a knot, then shake wildly until the beef is well coated in the seasoned flour.
• Heat 25g of the dripping or lard in a large frying pan and fry the beef over a high heat in two batches until well browned all over, adding an extra 10g fat when the frying pan appears dry. Transfer the browned beef to a flameproof casserole. Return the frying pan to the heat and drop in the chopped onion with a little extra fat if need be. Cook over a low-medium heat for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring often. Stir into the pot with the beef.
• Deglaze the frying pan with half the ale, bringing it to the boil while stirring to lift all the sediment from the bottom of the frying pan. Pour this over the beef and onion mixture. Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks and add with the bay leaf, sugar, beef stock or consommé, tomato purée and the remaining ale. Grind all over with a heavy bombardment of black pepper. Bring to a healthy simmer, then cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue cooking for a further 30-40 minutes, stirring once or twice. After this time, the beef should be almost tender and the sauce should be thick. Remove from the oven, taste for seasoning, then leave to go cold.
• Butter a 1.75 litre pudding basin. To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the suet and salt. Gradually stir in enough water to make a soft, slightly tacky, spongy dough - you'll need around 300ml. Turn out onto a floured work surface and bring the dough together to form a ball.
• Remove just under one-third of the dough to make a lid for the pudding. Roll out the rest until 1cm thick and use a plate as a guide to cut out a circle, 27cm across, using a dusting of flour here and there to prevent sticking issues. Line the basin with the pastry, to a level of around 3cm under the top edge of the dish. This is important as you must allow for the pudding to rise. Be careful with the pastry; if it rips, the gravy will snake and create a mess. Trim neatly to make a flat edge on which to fix the lid.
• Stir the pickled onions into the beef mixture, then spoon into the lined basin. Brush the top edge of the pastry with water. Roll the remaining pastry into a circle just large enough to sit snugly on top of the pastry edge, then place over the filling. Trim the excess pastry, then press the edges together well to seal. Tear a large sheet of baking paper that amply overlaps the rim of the basin and, over this, lay a similar-size sheet of foil. Tie with string.
• Put the pudding basin on an upturned saucer or small trivet in a deep saucepan and add enough just-boiled water to come halfway up the side of the basin after it's put inside. (Alternatively, cook in a hob-top steamer.) Cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid ?and put over a medium heat. Allow the pud to steam in simmering water for 2½ hours, adding more water when necessary.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat, then carefully lift the basin from the water using oven gloves. Stand for 5 minutes. Cut off the string, foil and baking paper. Loosen the side of the pudding with a blunt-ended knife, then invert the pudding carefully onto a warm serving plate large enough for the filling to ooze into. Attack the resulting stronghold with spoons, knives and mustard reinforcements.

HAIRY BIKERS' STEAK AND ALE PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F/Gas Mark 7.
• Pour flour into a bowl and season well. Coat the meat with the seasoned flour.
• Heat half the butter in a heated pan and add the meat. Sear all over until golden brown.
• Add the vegetables, herbs, ale and stock. Bring to a simmer, then cover with a lid and gently simmer for 1 hr. When cooked, season, add the remaining butter and pour into an ovenproof serving dish.
• Brush the edge of the dish with the beaten egg. Roll out the pastry using as little flour as possible and place over the dish. Pinch the edges of the dish so that the pastry will stick to it and trim off any remaining pieces of pastry from around the edge. Brush the pastry top thoroughly with the remaining beaten egg and place on a baking tray.
• Bake in the oven for 20-30 mins until the pastry is golden brown on top.

STEAK AND MUSHROOM PUDDING RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the steak, onion, mushrooms, flour and seasoning into a bowl. Stir all the ingredients together, so that they're all coated in the flour.
• To make the suet pastry, tip the flour, suet and salt into a bowl and mix together the ingredients. Add about 150ml (¼ pint) cold water and work to a soft dough.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface so it's just large enough to line the base and sides of the pudding basin to a thickness of about 1cm (½in). Cut out a quarter segment and use the large piece to line the basin, overlapping the cut edges to give a good seal.
• Spoon the steak and mushroom mixture into the basin, pressing the mixture down well. Mix together the stock, mustard and a dash of Worcestershire sauce and then pour this over the steak.
• Re-roll the cut out segment to a round that will fit the top of the basin. Brush water around the pastry on the rim of the pudding basin and place the round piece on top. Pull the side edges over and press down to seal well.
• Take a double thickness of baking parchment and make a pleat in it and place it over the pudding basin. Secure paper cover in place with string, tying it tightly around the rim of the basin.
• Place the basin in the top of a steamer over a pan of simmering water. Cook pudding for 3½-4 hours, making sure that the water doesn't boil dry.
• Remove the pudding from the steamer and leave to rest for about 10-15 mins before removing the baking parchment.
• To serve, use a palette knife to ease around the edges of the pudding, then turn it out on to a serving dish.

OLD FASHIONED BEEFSTEAK PUDDING

Steps:

• Grease a basin, put a large pot of water onto the boil. Make the pastry with the flour, suet, salt, and water (or eggs). Roll it out and line the basin leaving a piece for the lid. Cut the steak into convenient pieces, flour and season them with pepper and salt; put them in the pudding. Pour in the ¼ pint of water, and put on the pastry lid. Tie over with a floured cloth, and boil as above.