Steak and Kidney Pie
The definitive British pub savory pastry: a deep, comforting stew of tender beef chunks and rich kidney simmered in a thick stout-infused gravy, topped with a crisp, golden, flaky puff pastry crust.
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150 min
Británica
4 servings
The story behind
You have absolutely no idea what an incredible, deeply rich and intensely savory dish this turns out to be—it is the ultimate rustic comfort food heritage in a pie! The very first time I gathered the courage to order an authentic Steak and Kidney Pie was at a two-hundred-year-old historic dockside tavern in Liverpool. A freezing northern gale was howling outside, but breaking through that shards-of-glass crispy pastry and watching the steam billow out with notes of tender beef, dark ale, and rosemary was an absolute revelation. Many home cooks are intimidated by kidney, but a veteran English pub chef shared the ultimate secret with me: trim away every bit of the white central core fat, and soak the diced pieces in cold milk with a splash of vinegar before searing; this completely mellows the flavor and leaves them remarkably tender. Personally, I love baking this on freezing winter afternoons because it fills the entire house with a heavenly aroma. It looks phenomenal when you use the pastry offcuts to build decorative leaves across the crust, perfectly mimicking the rustic layout in Steak and Kidney Pie.jpg. To drink, a pint of dark Guinness or a bold mug of hot black tea cuts through the deep layers flawlessly. You are going to love it completely.
Instructions
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1Thoroughly core the kidneys by snipping away all inner white tubes and fat, dice into small chunks, and soak in a bowl of milk with a splash of vinegar for 20 minutes; rinse well and pat bone-dry.
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2Toss the beef cubes and cleaned kidney pieces in the flour seasoned generously with fine sea salt and plenty of cracked black pepper, shaking off excess flour dust.
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3Heat a splash of oil in a heavy casserole pot over high heat and sear the meat chunks in quick batches until deeply browned on all sides; remove and set aside.
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4Lower heat to medium, add the chopped onion and garlic to the same pot, cooking for 5 minutes until soft. Pour in the dark stout beer, scraping the caramelized bits off the bottom, and let it reduce by half.
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5Return the seared meat and kidneys to the pot, pour in the beef stock along with the rosemary sprig; cover tightly and simmer over very low heat for 1.5 hours until the beef is meltingly tender and the liquid transforms into a thick, dark gravy. Let cool completely.
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6Pour the cooled filling into a rustic oval pie dish. Roll out the puff pastry sheet, drape it securely over the dish, crimp the edges, and use the pastry trimmings to shape decorative leaves on top to replicate the textured layout shown in Steak and Kidney Pie.jpg.
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7Prick a small steam vent at the center of the pastry crust, brush thoroughly with the egg wash, and bake at 200°C for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is puffed high, flaky, and intensely golden-brown.
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