BEEF: Steak and kidney pie, once a British staple, is not readily available in the UK any more. So try making it at home. With a store-bought pastry, it is not too difficult to do.

BASIC SHORT CRUST PASTRY:

1 lb cold lard cut into cubes                                        

5-5 ½ cups all purpose flour

3 tsp. salt                                                                    

1 egg

1 tbsp. vinegar                                                            

¾+ cup ice water

Beat egg and vinegar into ice water to make up 1 cup liquid. Refrigerate until use.

Place flour and salt in work-bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Process on/off to mix.  Add lard into work bowl and process a few seconds until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  With machine running, add ice water mixture in a steady stream through the feed-tube. Process with on/off pulses a few times, until mixture is just coming together into a ball. Do not over process.

Turn dough out onto a large piece of waxed paper. Bring the edges of paper together and pressing through the paper to make dough into a ball.  Knead gently once or twice to distribute the fat evenly. Flatten the ball out to a large flat round. Wrap well and refrigerate 10 minutes before using.

Dough may be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost in fridge before using.

This recipe is sufficient for a double-crusted pie. If only a top or bottom pie crust is needed, make dough with half the amount of ingredients. 

STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE WITH MUSHROOMS:

½ quantity of short-crust pastry, home-made or store-bought

2 lbs. stewing beef, cubed                                          

1 lb. beef or lamb kidneys,

½ lb, mushrooms, sliced                                             

1 medium onion, sliced                                              

2 ½ cups beef stock                                                    

3-4 tbsp. all purpose flour

salt and pepper + pinch of cayenne pepper                                        

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce                                         

cooking oil

                                   

egg wash—beat egg with equal amount of cold water—for brushing

Roll out pastry to ¼-inch thickness and big enough to cover a large baking pan or an oven-proof casserole. Place it on a wax paper-lined plate. Refrigerate before using.                                                                     

Trim and remove membranes from kidneys and cut in 1-inch pieces. 

In a large non-stick saucepan over high heat, heat 2 tbsp. oil until hot. Dredge beef cubes in flour, shaking off and reserving excess, and sear them in hot oil, in batches, until browned. Season browned meat with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to the baking pan or casserole.  Add 1 tbsp. oil and heat it until hot. Add kidneys and toss them in hot oil for 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and add them to the beef.

Add 1 tbsp. oil to pan and cook onions and mushrooms over medium high heat until soften. Add 3-4 tbsp. flour, including flour which has been reserved from dredging the beef, stir in and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add beef stock, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom and sides of pan. Bring to a boil; then add salt to taste, cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce; then return beef and kidneys to the pan. Cover and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours or until beef is tender. Transfer beef mixture to baking dish and let cool completely.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Take pastry out of fridge and fit it over baking dish, sealing and crimping edges decoratively. Cut a hole in the centre, and make small slashes in the pastry to let steam escape. Brush pastry with egg wash and decorate top with cut pieces of pastry if desired.

Bake pie for 10 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F. and bake 20 minutes or so longer or until crust is golden brown. Serve immediately.