Thread: My mum's steak and kidney pie

I've had a bit of appreciation for my steak and kidney pie dinner so thought I'd chance my arm with a cooking thread. My fish and chips are a disaster, but though I say it meself, my steak and kidney pie is pretty good. My mum used to make it most Saturdays and I'm trying to follow the tradition for my offspring.

First, start with a piece of beef and a few pig's kidneys from the market. Cheaper beef has stronger flavour and just needs cooking longer. You have to watch the amount of fat they will try and sell you though. I cut the beef into small chunks, removing the worst of the fat and grisle. Same for the kidneys. All the waste goes into a frying pan to be fried up for the dogs - they won't touch uncooked kidney.



This all goes into a pan of water with a couple of chopped onions, salt and pepper. This can be left simmering for 3 to 4 hours. It's best not to add any stock or thickening at this stage as that makes it prone to sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning. Once the burnt flavour has gone through the stew you're buggered and that's when a Dinner post will turn into a Daily Moan.

Looking forward to this thread mate.

What cut of beef do you use?

After 3 or 4 hours the steak and kidney stew can be thickened. I prefer Bisto gravy powder and mix two teaspoons of this with a teaspoon of flour into a paste in a cup. This can be stirred into the saucepan with a crumbled Oxo cube and about a third or a tin of Guinness. This can be left to simmer for another half an hour or so, but care has to be taken and regular stirring is recommended as this will now easily stick to the bottom of the pan.



Meanwhile the pastry can be made. Half fat to flour is the usual rule and I use a combination of butter and margarine for the fat. Slightly more than half fat seems to help the rolling out later. Something like White Flora would be better than butter as butter makes a very rich pastry, but I've never seen the white cooking fats in Thailand.

Once the fat and flour is well mixed, bind with a splash of ice cold water (if you have a baking hot kitchen like hours). Roll the pastry mix into a ball, and I find leaving this for half an hour in the fridge makes it more manageable. Pastry really doesn't like hot climates.

Personally, for a pie especially, I like to keep the fat on (unless it's a ridiculous amount, say 30%).

I love steak and kidney pie, but without the kidney and sometimes without the pie.

Yes, I like steak.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Looking forward to this thread mate.

What cut of beef do you use?

I've just been reliably informed that this was from the shoulder as there is less fat. I would imagine the cut used is pretty random depending on availability at the market.

Before rolling out the pastry I fill the pie dishes with the steak and kidney. I don't use pastry at the bottom of the pie as for me it can get too stodgy but many people find this odd. I guess that's just a personal choice. I much prefer to make a couple of big pies but am soon off to work so this time I also made a load of small pies for the freezer. This keeps my daughter stocked up with pie while I'm away!



Once the tops are on the pies the pastry needs basting. I whisk up a small egg with some milk.



You will notice that despite all the precautions there has been a lot of patching going on. It incenses me when pastry falls apart but I'm trying to be careful not to start dominating the Daily Moan thread.

The pies go in the oven at around 200 to 220 degrees for half an hour. Less for the small ones. The meat is all cooked so this is only to cook and brown the pastry.

About a year ago our fitted oven gave up the ghost and I'm loathe to spend good money piecemeal on a 12 year old kitchen that's gradually falling apart. After a year with no pies my wife suggested we get one of those convection oven things, an idea which I of course pooh-poohed. Nevertheless, she pursued the idea and to be honest I have to admit it works just great. The downside is you can only fit in one pie at a time (or four small ones), but a huge upside is that its on a timer making it pretty well impossible to burn your pies, even if you completely forget all about them.



And the finished products!



They won't win any prizes for appearance but taste pretty damn good. Looks like I even forgot to baste the pie second row back on the right, but there you go.

I freeze any extra gravy from the original steak and kidney stew in small containers (margarine tubs) along with the pies. They taste much better with the original gravy.

Look to the Dinner thread for the meal made from the big pie!

Originally Posted by Mendip

convection oven things

buy pizza bases at makro and add sauce and toppings and cheese and the oven cooks them just fine

Thanks for the thread, Mendip. I might try making pies myself one day.

Very nice Mendip, cheers.


Where did you buy the can of Black Gold?

Top thread, great choice of subject. More please.

Cheers Mendip. Cooking in Thailand sometimes requires some extra ingenuity with sourcing ingredients and gadgets. When in Nepal i'd miss Lamb and found that Goat Leg was a not too bad a replacement

Originally Posted by Luigi

Very nice Mendip, cheers.


Where did you buy the can of Black Gold?

I brought a couple over from the UK after a visit last Christmas. Used to get them at Macro but haven't seen them for a long time now.

Originally Posted by Mendip

They won't win any prizes for appearance

Nah, they look good. You've got a good batch there, too.

Originally Posted by Mendip

I don't use pastry at the bottom of the pie as for me it can get too stodgy

Have you ever tried to put pastry on the bottom and give those bottoms 10 - 15 minutes in the oven before putting in the filling? Also, make sure the filling is cold before pouring into the pie case because if it's hot it melts the butter in your pastry making the bottoms stodgy and the tops a bit hard.

Originally Posted by Mendip

I brought a couple over from the UK after a visit last Christmas. Used to get them at Macro but haven't seen them for a long time now.

Yeah, there was an issue with the importer and distributor a good few years ago.

Haven't looked for a while, but some of the specialized beer distributors (wishbeer, etc.) had them advertized at around 250-300b a can.

Think I saw the Nigerian version which is around 7% too.


Not that I'd really fancy it other than as a pint, pulled by someone that knows what they're doing, in the Emerald Isle.

Originally Posted by Luigi

Haven't looked for a while, but some of the specialized beer distributors (wishbeer, etc.) had them advertized at around 250-300b a can.

40 baht a can at Danock duty free.
Next border run I do I could pick you up a slab if you want to pay for the Kerry delivery.

*cough*

Originally Posted by Luigi

Not that I'd really fancy it other than as a pint, pulled by someone that knows what they're doing, in the Emerald Isle.

Sarcy response to a generous offer. You really are an insecure nasty little man.

Guinness is not my choice, especially in such a hot climate. May seem like sacrilage but after I open a can for my gravy I freeze the rest in portions for future pie batches!

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Sarcy response to a generous offer.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

border run....a slab

Originally Posted by Maanaam

Kerry delivery

Unacceptable Shipments: 3.1.5 Any alcoholic beverages;



Dodgy.

Steer well clear lads.

Originally Posted by Luigi

Dodgy.

Steer well clear lads.

you horrible fucker. Bet you were gutted when you googled that straight away

I guy offers to pick him up a slab and he finds ways to fault it. Nasty little man.

Originally Posted by Maanaam

40 baht a can at Danock duty free.

Is it really that cheap? Its about 100 baht a can in Malaysia where its brewed if I remember correctly

Biggest bullshitter on the forum.


#don't believe a word.

Originally Posted by Neverna

Thanks for the thread, Mendip. I might try making pies myself one day.

I think I've just been inspired to to continue on from the last batch I did around 7 years ago.


Cheers Mendip.