Steak and kidney pudding
A small steak and kidney pudding, served with mashed potatoes and other vegetables | |
| Type | Pudding |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | England |
| Main ingredients | Suet pastry, diced steak and beef, lamb's or pig's kidney |
Steak and kidney pudding is a savoury pudding made by enclosing diced beef steak and lamb's or pig's kidney pieces in gravy in a suet pastry.
History[edit]
An early mention of Steak and Kidney Pudding appears in Bell’s New Weekly Messenger on 11 August 1839 when the writer says:
Hardbake, brandy-balls, and syllabubs have given way to “baked-tates” and “trotters;" and the olden piemen are set aside for the Blackfriars-bridge howl of “Hot beef-steak and kidney puddings!”[1]
The first recipe for steak and kidney pudding to appear in print came from Sussex, in a book by Mrs Beeton published by Ward, Lock and Tyler in 1861.[2][3][4] The dish is not markedly older than published recipes of the 19th century.[5][6]
Suet pastry is used to line a bowl into which the steak and kidney mix is placed with onions, stock etc. A suet pastry lid is then placed on top and sealed tightly. The top is then covered with muslin cloth which is tied round the bowl. This is placed in a covered saucepan and steamed for about four hours or until the pudding is cooked. Some recipes then stipulate making a small opening in the top and pouring rich stock into the pudding ten minutes before serving.
Nickname[edit]
In the slang of the British Armed Forces and some parts of North West England, the puddings are called "babies' heads".[7]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "What is doing in London?". Bell’s New Weekly Messenger. England. 11 August 1839. Retrieved 19 March 2018 – via British Newspaper Archive. (Subscription required (help)).
- ^ Cloake, Felicity (1 March 2012). "How to cook the perfect steak and kidney pudding". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ Beeton, Isabella (1861). The Book of Household Management. London: Ward, Lock and Tyler. pp. 281–282.
- ^ Fulton, Margaret (2007). Encyclopedia of Food and Cookery: The Complete Kitchen Companion from A-Z. London: Apple Press. p. 506. ISBN 1-84543-229-0.
- ^ Grigson, Jane (1974). English Food (1979 ed.). MacMillan London Limited. p. 228. ISBN 0 333 26866 0.
- ^ Hyslop, Leah (2013). "Potted Histories: Steak and Kidney Pudding". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ Seal, Graham; Blake, Lloyd (2013). Century of Silent Service. Salisbury, Queensland: Boolarong Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-922-10989-7.
External links[edit]
- Steak and kidney pudding recipe at bbc.co.uk