Mrs. Beeton's Steak & Kidney Piepies 1 each flaky pastry ----FILLING---- 600 gm chuck/blade steak 3 each 15 ml spoons plain flour 1 each 5 ml spoon salt 1/2 each 2.5 ml spoon ground pepper 2 each medium onions 250 ml beef stock 2 each sheep or 150g ox kidneys ----GLAZE---- 1 each beaten egg (or) 1 milk Wipe the steak and trim off any excess fat. Cut the steak into 1-2 cm cubes. Mix the flour, salt, & pepper in a bag or deep bowl. Toss the cubes of meat in the seasoned flour and put them in a 1 litre pie dish. Skin and chop the onions and sprinkle between the meat. Skin, core, and cut the kidneys before mixing with the steak and onions. Pour in the stock to quarter fill the dish. Roll out the pastry and use to cover the dish. Trim the edge and flute. Make a small hole in the centre of the lid and decorate with leaves of pastry. Make a pastry rose or tassel to cover the hole after baking. Bake the pie in a very hot oven (230C/450F) until the pastry is risen and brown. Bake the tassel or rose blind. Reduce the oven to moderate (180C/350F) and, if necessary, place the pie on a lower shelf. Cover with greaseproof paper to prevent the pastry from overbrowning and continue cooking for about 2 hours until the meat is quite tender when tested with a skewer. Heat the remaining stock and pour in enough to fill the dish by funnelling it through the hole in the pastry. Insert the tassel, or rose and serve. |
