Welcome to The Storied Recipe!
My podcast guest, Paul Kelly of the famous Kelly Bronze Turkeys, shared his mother's traditional Steak & Kidney Pudding recipe. As you make this authentic recipe, I invite you to listen to his family's incredible story of risking everything and working together to build a business out of poverty.
This individual Steak and Kidney Pudding recipe came from Paul Kelly, the original free range turkey farmer. More accurately, it came from Paul’s mother, the daughter of a British butcher. Obviously, making Steak and Kidney Pudding involves working with raw organ meat. That may not sound appetizing to you. It didn't to me or my family. But, very much to our surprise, we loved our individual puddings. The rich, meaty stew was well-seasoned with layers of flavor and the suet crust was soft and rich.
Table of Contents (Jump To Section)
If You're New to Cooking Kidney
Of all the recipes I’ve tried for this podcast, this was the most adventurous and challenging for me and my family. Organ meat is just not something that a lot of Americans eat. For those who do, chicken livers are fairly common. Beef kidney? Not so much.
Where to Find Kidney - & Substitutes
- I had to call 3 butchers to find an ox kidney (beef kidney). I was lucky with the third; even they said they only occasionally have them available.
- However, several readers have alerted me that sheep kidneys are just as good to use
This Recipe Made Me Consider the Ethics of Eating Kidney
- I'm a little disappointed in myself that this is such an adventurous dish for me. Ethically, I believe it is better to eat all parts of an animal than just the choicest parts. I wish my actions were more consistent with my convictions in this regard. I’m impressed with this dish that prudent cooks & housewives developed to maximize some of the least desirable parts of the cow.
This pudding recipe does NOT taste strongly of kidney.
- The kidney is chopped finally, cooked twice to soften its flavor, blended with beef gravy, beer, onions and carrots, and encased in a highly flavorful crust. It is truly delicious. Don’t just take my word for it – all 6 of us enjoyed our steak and kidney puddings, even those who were most hesitant.
- Lots more tips below (that I learned after the fact).
Tips to Minimize the Odor of Raw Kidney
- The problem: kidney does carries quite a strong ammonia scent associated with uric acid. Once I got that on my hands, 3 washings didn’t get it off. Eventually I went and did the gardening work without gloves, in hopes that the dirt would rub off the odor!
- DO wear gloves when chopping the kidney.
- Not only is the scent unpleasant on your hands, if you smell that uric acid when the kidney is cooking, the final pudding will become unappetizing.
- To reduce the odor of kidney when cooking, you can soak it in salted water, milk, or buttermilk for two hours.
- You can also soak it in cold water with a little added lemon juice or vinegar for two hours.
- Soaking the kidney in milk can also help remove residual odor, soften the texture, and neutralize the organ's flavor.
Questions About Making Individual Steak & Kidney Puddings
What to expect: Texture and Flavor
- Paul said quite emphatically that a steak and kidney pudding crust is NOT meant to replicate a pie crust. It is meant to be, in his words, “stodgy”. The perfect texture is soft; it should melt in your mouth rather than crunch.
- The mixture inside is like a delicious very thick stew flavored with beef, Guinness, vegetables, and herbs – it’s really quite spectacular, in my opinion.
Best Cut of Beef
- Anything that cooks "low and slow" like chuck roast, top round, or stewing steak.
Kidney Options
- Beef kidney (ox kidney) is difficult to find and its BIG. It's difficult to use the entire kidney.
- For that reason, many recommend sheep, lamb, or pig kidneys.
- Others just omit the kidney altogether, although that really isn't quite in the spirit of the recipe, is it? 😉
How to make suet pudding crust?
- Preferably, you'll need suet (a fat that coats organ meat). Alternatively, use butter.
- Suet crusts also use a raising agent. This recipe calls for baking powder, which is most common.
Why is it called steak and kidney pudding?
Let’s back up: What is a pudding?
Anytime I have a guest from the UK on the podcast, I ask them this question. I receive 3 general responses:
- A pudding is the British equivalent to the American word “dessert”.
- A pudding is anything steamed, dessert or otherwise.
- Everyone throws Yorkshire puddings out of the conversation because every guest agrees Yorkshire puddings they don’t fit into any “pudding” category.
So! It’s called a steak and kidney pudding because it’s steak and kidney in a thick gravy, encased in a thick suet crust, then steamed rather than baked.
What is the difference between a sweet and savory British Pudding?
- This comes down to points 1 and 2 above: A sweet British pudding isn't necessarily steamed. It's just another name for "dessert". Even a cake could be called a pudding.
- A savory pudding, on the other hand, is always steamed.
What is the difference between Steak & Kidney Pudding and Steak & Kidney Pie?
- I asked Paul this question quite pointedly because I assumed everyone would like the flaky, crispy crust of a perfect pie. I couldn’t imagine how steaming would achieve this.
- A pudding is not meant to have the crispy crust of a pie. It's meant to be soft and stodgy.
- Steak and Kidney Pie and Steak & Kidney Pudding have the same filling of vegetables, steak, chopped & boiled kidney, and a thick brothy sauce.
- They also have the same same crust, traditionally made with suet, but could be made with any other fat. The difference is that puddings are steamed and pies are baked. This results in very different crust textures.
Steaming Questions
One large pudding or individual basins?
I chose to make individual steak and kidney puddings because:
- They’re cuter and more photogenic.
- They seemed more appetizing that way. As I’ve mentioned, my family was not thrilled with the idea of kidney. With individual puddings, you have a higher crust to filling ratio.
- I didn’t have 3 hours to wait for a pudding to steam. Because I made individual steak and kidney puddings, I only steamed them for 50 minutes. I think they could have gone longer, but not for less time.
Steaming Options:
Beef and kidney pudding is a traditional British dish that is typically steamed. However, there are quite a few ways to accomplish the steaming:
-
Oven: This works best for individual puddings. Place the pudding basins in a large Pyrex or casserole dish. Add water until the pudding basins are about halfway submerged. Cover the entire dish tightly with foil or a lid and place it in a preheated oven. Bake at a moderate temperature, around 350°F (175°C), for about 2 to 3 hours until the pudding is cooked through.
-
Slow Cooker: This option works best for one large basin. Prepare the pudding and place it in the slow cooker. Consider placing it on a teacup or plate so the basin will not be in contact with the hot bottom of the crock. Add water until the basin is ⅔ covered and cook on low heat for approximately 6 to 8 hours or on high heat for 3 to 4 hours until the pudding is cooked and tender.
-
Sous Vide: If you have a sous vide machine, you can try cooking the beef and kidney pudding using this method. Prepare the pudding mixture and place it in a vacuum-sealed bag. Set your sous vide machine to the desired temperature (around 140°F or 60°C) and cook the pudding for several hours until it reaches the desired level of tenderness.
-
Stovetop: Prepare the pudding. Put a teacup upside down on the bottom of a deep, saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Place the basin on top. The basin should not touch the bottom of the pan. Add enough water to reach about halfway up the side of the pudding basin. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and cook on low heat for 2 to 3 hours, ensuring that the water doesn't boil dry.
How long to steam the pudding?
- Cooking times will vary depending on the size of the pudding and the cooking method you choose. It's essential to check the internal temperature and ensure the pudding is cooked thoroughly before serving.
Storage
Can I freeze homemade steak and kidney pudding?
I froze the gravy mixture and suet crust separately and this worked beautifully. I haven’t tried to freeze the entire pudding in one piece, but again, because this is a pudding, not a pie, and the texture of the crust is meant to be soft and even someone stodgy. Because of that, I think it would be fine to freeze these before or after steaming.
Can you reheat steak and kidney pudding?
Yep! No problem. My son ate one for lunch every day until they were gone. In my opinion, the kidney flavor did intensify a bit through the week. However, I was more sensitive to the scent and flavor than the rest of my family because I handled the kidney.
Equipment You May Need
Where did you get your individual pudding cups?
I loved these pudding cups! I did lightly grease them, but considering the amount of suet in the pudding, that was not necessary. The pudding turned out easily with no tearing or ripping at all. I also can’t wait to use these to make other desserts (like mini chocolate lava cakes!)
Another great steamed pudding basin….
A lot of Brits make Steak and Kidney pudding in one large basin. If you choose to go that route, you can use the same one I used for Nanny’s Golden Syrup Sponge Pudding. This was the first time I used a pudding basin and, again, I didn’t suffer from any sticking problems at all. If you choose to make one large pudding, then extend the steaming time to 3 hours.
About Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly is a farmer – but not a beef farmer! His mother was the daughter of a butcher, and this Steak Pudding recipe is from her. As for the Kelly family –
Kelly Bronze turkeys have been the centerpiece of the Royal Family’s Christmas dinner and have been specially requested by dignitaries as far as Dubai. Their turkeys are featured on the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants and the Bronze family have been celebrated across the UK…. But it wasn’t always this way.
In fact, there was a time when the Kelly family was in dire straits financially. The turkey market was oversaturated and as far as prices, well, as Paul says, it was a race to the bottom. Paul and his parents became the laughingstock of the turkey industry, when they traveled the UK buying up every non-genetically-modified turkey they could find and decided to rear the turkeys according to their natural life cycle. Most shocking of all the Kelly family allowed their turkeys to live and roam in the great outdoors.
It’s really a great success story and, beyond that, Paul is truly a great storyteller. Not everyone could make the history and life cycle of turkeys interesting, but I *promise* you’ll be hanging on Paul’s every nugget of knowledge and laughing all the way through.
Hear the Kelly Bronze Story Now
106 A Turkey Fit for a Queen! With Paul Kelly of Kelly Bronze Turkeys
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
Individual Steak & Kidney Puddings
Difficulty: Medium6
servings30
minutes2
hours30
minutes3
hoursAn authentic, traditional recipe for that great British classic, Steak and Kidney Pudding. A meaty filling flavored with veg and beer surrounded by a soft, rich suet pastry. Make in individual portions or
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Ingredients
- FOR THE FILLING
2 tbs 2 beef dripping or vegetable oil
2 large 2 onions sliced
1 large 1 carrot sliced
⅔ ⅔ Bay leaves
2 tbs 2 flour
1 teaspoon 1 English mustard (or dry mustard powder)
1 pound 1 stewing steak
12 ounces 12 2 kidneys cut into small pieces (ox/beef kidney, sheep kidney, lamb's kidney)
200 ml 200 Guinness beer (If you live in the US, get the Foreign Guinness, which has a higher alcohol content and tastes like the Guinness you would find in the UK)
200 ml 200 strong beef stock
(If you don't like the liquid options above, feel free to make to your own taste using red wine, tomato puree, and/or Worcestershire Sauce)
Season with Salt and Black pepper
- FOR THE SUET PASTRY
300 g 300 flour (plain)
1 teaspoon 1 baking powder (alternatively, you could use self-raising flour and skip the baking powder)
150 g 150 beef suet
Directions
- Make the meat stew
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch Oven or cast iron pan. (Choose a pan you can easily transfer to the oven, just to save yourself washing an extra dish.)
- Add the beef cubes and the kidney, stir well until all the meat is browned. Add the onion, carrots, and stir again.
- Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetables and stir thoroughly.
- Add the stock, beer, bay leaf, mustard, and salt and pepper. Scrape all the beefy floury bits off the bottom of the pan and stir into the liquid.
- Bring to a gentle low simmer, then reduce the heat and cover with a lid. Place in the hot oven and cook for 1 hour.
- Remove the casserole from the oven, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Make the Pastry
- Meanwhile: Make the pastry. Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
- Add the suet and rub into the flour.
- Add enough cold water to form a stiff, slightly sticky dough.
- Leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
- IF MAKING INDIVIDUAL PUDDINGS
- Cut 8 squares of parchment paper (“greaseproof” in the UK) large enough to cover your pudding cups.
- Use a floured rolling pin and a lightly flour surface Roll the dough very thin – it will puff as it steams. I did about 4mm, or less than ¼″ inch.
- Cut 8 large circles (you will probably need to gather up your scraps and re-roll a couple of times). I used a small dessert plate, as that size created a pastry circle with plenty of allowance for the height of the sides of the pudding cup.
- Turn the pudding cups upside down and cut 8 smaller circles the size of the pudding cups. These circles will be pastry lid.
- Place larger circles in the pudding cups. Try not to be as messy as me! Smooth out the edges and trim remaining dough so it doesn’t lap over the edges.
- Fill the dough with meat mixture.
- Place a smaller circle on top of the filling. Seal the lid to the edges of the dough by pinching
- Place a square of parchment paper on top of each pudding cup. Secure with twine.
- Fill a Pyrex pan or an oven-proof skillet halfway with water. Place the cups in the water.
- Cover the top of the pan with a lid or tightly wrapped aluminum foil.
- Place in the oven. The water should boil, steaming the puddings.
- After 50-60 minutes, remove the pan from the oven.
- Remove the pudding cups. When cool enough to handle, turn them out on a plate.
- IF MAKING ONE LARGE PUDDING
- Grease a 2-pint or 2.3 L pudding basin.
- Divide the pastry into ¾ and ¼ parts.
- Test with parchment paper (greaseproof paper) and determine how large of a circle will line the basin with a slight overlap. (You'll fold the overlap over the top piece.)
- Lightly dust your hands and the rolling pin, then roll the larger piece of dough.
- Line the basin with the larger piece of dough, leaving a lip to overlap.
- Add the meat mixture.
- Roll the last quarter of the dough large enough to make a lid. Place it over the meat mixture.
- Moisten the edge of the lid, then fold the lip over and pinch until you've formed a good seal.
- Cover the basin with parchment paper. Secure with a good length of string.
- You can make a little handle by crossing string under the bottom of the basin and tying on the top with a loop. This can make it much easier to remove the basin from your pot after steaming.
- Fill a pot to a water level about halfway up the basin. Steam over rapidly boiling water for 2 hours. Check regularly that water remains in the pot. Add more water as necessary.
- Remove the pudding from the steamer and remove the parchment paper.
- Invert the pudding onto a platter and serve.
Notes
- Make sure to listen to Paul Kelly on The Storied Recipe Podcast, A Turkey Fit for The Queen! {with Paul Kelly of Kelly Bronze Turkey} while you make his Steak and Kidney Pie recipe!
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Aiwon Bennett says
Hello Becky,
I've just discovered your podcast and I'm listening from the beginning, working my way towards the front of the queue. My husband is English and I've learnt to make steak and kidney pie for him [I omit the kdneys from my pie - I make individual ones - as I rather not be reminded of public loos] Just thought that you might want to know that lambs kidneys and pig kidneys work just as well as bovine kidneys.
Regards,
A. Bennett
admin says
Aiwon, thanks for commenting! (I love your name, by the way!) I didn't know this about the types of kidneys that can be substituted - and I'll definitely add this into the questions. They must be much smaller. Thanks so much for sharing!
Shirley Julia says
I’m a little confused as to the instructions. No 23 are the puddings are fully cooked at this point?
No 24 - turn out into a plate?
No 25 - steam again for 2 hrs?
Keen to make for about 50 people so need to get it right!
admin says
Julia - No wonder you were confused! The directions for individual cups and one large pudding were not properly separated. Now, they are. Thanks for your feedback and good luck with your 50!!! I would definitely try a smaller set before diving all the way in with 50!!