Traditional Steak and Kidney Pie

Ingredients

• 900 g beef chuck for braising, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 300 g fresh beef kidney, trimmed and cut into 2 cm dice
• 2 pieces yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic clove
• 40 g T55 wheat flour
• 30 g 82% butterfat unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp refined canola oil
• 250 ml British amber ale
• 500 ml unsalted liquid beef broth
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme sprig
• 2 leaves dried bay leaf
• 1 piece ready-to-roll all-butter puff pastry
• 1 piece whole free-range egg
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Rinse the diced beef kidney under a stream of cool water, pat dry thoroughly with paper towels and check that no white fibrous residue remains in the center of each piece.
2. Place the wheat flour, fine salt and black pepper in a large bowl, then toss the cubed beef chuck and diced kidney until lightly dusted. Shake off any excess flour.
3. Heat the canola oil and half of the unsalted butter in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over high heat. As soon as the fat foams vigorously, brown the beef and kidney pieces in several batches without crowding the pan, for about six minutes per batch until deeply colored, then transfer them to a deep plate.
4. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining unsalted butter to the hot Dutch oven, then add the sliced onions. Sweat them for ten minutes, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon until translucent, tender and lightly browned.
5. Add the peeled and minced garlic, cook for one minute to develop its aromas, then pour in the amber ale, vigorously scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to dissolve the caramelized juices. Let reduce by half at a steady simmer.
6. Return the beef, kidneys and their accumulated juices to the Dutch oven. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, then submerge the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
7. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly with the Dutch oven lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about one and a half hours, until the beef cubes shred under the pressure of a fork and the sauce becomes syrupy.
8. Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Transfer all of the hot filling to a deep pie dish, then let cool completely at room temperature for at least forty-five minutes to prevent the pastry from softening upon contact with the heat.
9. Preheat your oven to 200 °C on the convection setting. Moisten the upper rim of the dish using a brush dipped in a little fresh water.
10. Unroll the puff pastry on your work surface, then carefully drape it over the dish, covering the cooled filling. Press the edges firmly with your fingers or the tines of a fork to seal the pastry to the edge of the dish, then trim the excess dough with a paring knife.
11. Make a small circular incision of one centimeter in the center of the dough to create a natural vent to release baking steam.
12. Whisk the whole egg in a bowl with a pinch of salt, then brush the surface of the puff pastry evenly, avoiding letting the egg run down the outside edges.
13. Bake the pie on the middle rack for thirty to thirty-five minutes, until the crust is generously risen, crispy and a deep golden brown, with sauce bubbling through the vent.
14. Let the pie rest for ten minutes out of the oven before cutting the first slice, to let the sauce settle and bind perfectly.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

475.6 kcal

Protein

44.55 g

Carbohydrate

15.18 g

Fat

25.08 g

Fibre

0.79 g

Calcium

10.67 mg

Iron

0.37 mg

Magnesium

5.34 mg