Steak and Kidney pie

‘Chef’ doesn’t mean that you’re the best cook, it simply means ‘boss.’

Tom Colicchio

This is one of those recipes where people look at the title and either turn up their nose automatically or, as in my wife’s case, it elicits a warm walk down memory lane .In my case my childhood memories do not include this staple of British cookery because my dad was a Pork man through and through but there were also 7 kids and so the food budget was aimed at lower costing but still healthy foods like Liver.

Now this recipe is not an original from me but it is my adaptation of one from Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger so kudos chefs and thank you for giving me the base for my twist on your recipe.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

• 1 pound bottom Sirloin steak tails – cubed
• 12 ounces Beef Kidney – cored, rinsed and cubed
• 1 1/2 cups Mushrooms – quartered
• 1 medium sweet Onion – roughly diced
• 1 12 ounce can Guinness
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons liquid Beef base
• 5 tablespoons Canola oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/3 cups of Flour plus 1/3 cup
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup cold Butter
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3 tablespoons ice Water
• 2 tablespoons melted Butter

Putting it all together:

1. Prepare the pastry: In a large bowl, combine flour with butter and salt. Mix lightly with your fingertips until butter forms pea sized pieces. Whisk together egg and 1 tablespoon of the water. Add to flour mixture all at once, mixing gently with your fingertips. You should be able to see chunks of fat, and the pastry should be moist enough to begin to stick together. If the pastry is too dry, add up to 2 more tablespoons of water.
2. Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface, dust with flour, and knead it until the pastry is smooth, about 3 to 4 times. Transfer to a plastic bag and form pastry into a disk. Refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes, or as long as 3 days.
3. Meanwhile: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a casserole or Dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms and cook for about four minutes. Add the 1/3 cup of flour and mix well.
4. Stir in the Worcestershire, beef base, bay leaves and salt and pepper.
5. Pour in the Guinness and bring to a boil.
6. Add in the steak and kidney, mix well, cover and place in the oven and simmer for about 1 hour or until the meat is fork tender.
7. Preheat the oven to 375°. Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
8. Fill 4 oval Au Gratin dishes or one 9 inch pie pan with the steak and kidney mix and cover with the pastry. Make a vent hole in the pastry, brush the melted butter on the top and put back in the oven for 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……….

                           Bon Appetit