Ingredients
For the pastry
butter, for greasing
450g/1lb self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
225g/8oz shredded beef suet
salt and freshly ground white pepper
300ml/10½fl oz water (as needed)
For the filling
700g/1½lb rump steak, roughly chopped
200g/7oz calves' kidneys, trimmed, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 shallot, sliced
50g/1¾oz plain flour
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml/5½fl oz beef stock
mashed potatoes, to serve
Method
1. Grease a 1.75 litres/3 pint pudding basin with butter.
2. For the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl. Add the shredded suet and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Gradually add the water, mixing well, until the mixture comes together as a dough (you may not need all of the water).
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, pinch off a quarter of the dough and set aside.
4. Roll out the remaining dough into a 25cm/10in circle. Transfer the rolled pastry to the prepared pudding basin and mould it to the sides of the basin (leave the excess pastry hanging over the edge of the basin). Set aside.
5. Roll the remaining dough out onto a lightly floured work surface until it is 1cm/½in thick and 2.5cm/1in wider in diameter than the top of the pudding basin. Set aside.
6. For the filling, in a bowl, mix together the rump steak pieces, kidney pieces, bay leaf, shallot, flour and Worcestershire sauce until well combined and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. Spoon the mixture into the pastry case. Pour over the stock.
8. Place the pastry lid on top of the pudding basin, moisten the edges with water, and press down to seal.
9. Wrap the pudding basin in aluminium foil and secure with string. Place it on a heatproof plate and transfer to a large pan. Add enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the pudding basin, cover the pan with a lid and steam for five hours, adding more water as necessary.
10. To serve, place a portion of the steak and kidney pudding onto eight serving plates and spoon a helping of mashed potatoes alongside.
