Make the meat stew

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C.
2. 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.)
3. Add the beef cubes and the kidney, stir well until all the meat is browned. Add the onion, carrots, and stir again.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetables and stir thoroughly.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Remove the casserole from the oven, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Make the Pastry

1. Meanwhile: Make the pastry. Place the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
2. Add the suet and rub into the flour.
3. Add enough cold water to form a stiff, slightly sticky dough.
4. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes.

IF MAKING INDIVIDUAL PUDDINGS

1. Cut 8 squares of parchment paper (“greaseproof” in the UK) large enough to cover your pudding cups.
2. 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 1/4″ inch.
3. 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.
4. Turn the pudding cups upside down and cut 8 smaller circles the size of the pudding cups. These circles will be pastry lid.
5. 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.
6. Fill the dough with meat mixture.
7. Place a smaller circle on top of the filling. Seal the lid to the edges of the dough by pinching
8. Place a square of parchment paper on top of each pudding cup. Secure with twine.
9. Fill a Pyrex pan or an oven-proof skillet halfway with water. Place the cups in the water.
10. Cover the top of the pan with a lid or tightly wrapped aluminum foil.
11. Place in the oven. The water should boil, steaming the puddings.
12. After 50-60 minutes, remove the pan from the oven.
13. Remove the pudding cups. When cool enough to handle, turn them out on a plate.

IF MAKING ONE LARGE PUDDING

1. Grease a 2-pint or 2.3 L pudding basin.
2. Divide the pastry into 3/4 and 1/4 parts.
3. 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.)
4. Lightly dust your hands and the rolling pin, then roll the larger piece of dough.
5. Line the basin with the larger piece of dough, leaving a lip to overlap.
6. Add the meat mixture.
7. Roll the last quarter of the dough large enough to make a lid. Place it over the meat mixture.
8. Moisten the edge of the lid, then fold the lip over and pinch until you've formed a good seal.
9. Cover the basin with parchment paper. Secure with a good length of string.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Remove the pudding from the steamer and remove the parchment paper.
13. Invert the pudding onto a platter and serve.