Steak and Kidney Pudding

Trim the steak and cut into thin strips. Cut the kidney into small pieces. Either place a piece of kidney on each strip of steak and roll firmly, or mix the kidney and steak together. Put the flour and seasoning onto a plate and toss the meat in this.

To make the pastry, sieve the flour and the salt into a mixing bowl. Add the suet and mix into the flour with a knife. Gradually stir the water into the flour and suet mixture until it is soft enough to form into a ball but firm enough to roll out. Line a basin with the pastry. Put in the meat and enough water or stock to come two-thirds of the way up the basin. Do not fill to the top or the liquid will boil out

Roll out the pastry for the top of the basin and put this over the filled pudding. Cover with either greased paper or foil or a cloth dipped in boiling water and floured. Fix firmly round the basin rim.

Put the pudding into a steamer; stand this over a saucepan of boiling water, making sure that it is balanced steadily. Steam for 4 hours. Allow the water to boil rapidly for the first 2 hours; add more boiling water when necessary. If using an ordinary pudding basin, wrap a white napkin round it. When serving with an ovenproof glass basin this is unnecessary.

Serve with thickened gravy or pour vegetable stock into the pudding, after cutting, to give it extra gravy.