United Kingdom Steak and Kidney Pie
The British love of savory meat pies finds its apex in steak and kidney pie. A flaky crust over a savory stew of beef, kidneys, onions, and gravy, steak and kidney pie is a staple of the traditional English home, as well as a popular pub dish. Warm and nourishing, it’s the epitome of comfort food.
Recipe Servings: 4–6
Prep Time
2 hours
Cook Time
40 minutes
Total Time
2 hours 40 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 1½ lbs (680 g) chuck steak, diced into 1-inch cubes
- ½ lb (226 g) beef or lamb kidney, fat trimmed off, diced
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbsp (15 g) butter, divided
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 4 large mushrooms, sliced
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp (5 ml) tomato purée
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pint (475 ml) beef stock
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- 12 oz (340 g) puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
Directions
- Pour vegetable oil into a large saucepan set over medium heat.
- Add diced beef and kidney to the hot oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Sauté meat until browned on all sides.
- Remove meat from pan and set aside.
- Melt half the butter in the hot pan.
- Add onions and carrots, sautéing for 2–3 minutes.
- Add remaining butter and mushrooms, sautéing for 1–2 minutes.
- Return meat to pan.
- Stir flour into meat mixture and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes.
- Add tomato purée, bay leaf, and stock, and bring to a simmer. Ensure meat is just covered with liquid.
- Simmer gently, partially covered, for 1½–2 hours, skimming top of liquid occasionally.
- Check for tenderness after 1½ hours. When stew is tender, season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Pour stew into a baking dish or pie pan.
- Roll puff pastry until ¼-inch (6-mm) thick.
- Cut a long strip of pastry to fit around rim of the dish.
- Brush rim of the dish with beaten egg and lay the long strip around the rim.
- Brush the strip with egg.
- Lay remaining puff pastry atop dish, ensuring that the entire top is covered.
- Pinch pastry around edge of the dish and trim any extra.
- Brush top of pie with beaten egg.
- Bake pie for 30–40 minutes, until crust is crisp and golden.
Notes
- Shortcrust pastry, often used in meat and fruit pies, is another common crust for steak and kidney pie.
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