Time to try that steak and kidney pie

Nose to tail month

July is Nose to Tail Month, a time to look beyond the classic cuts of meat and enjoy other edible (and delicious!) parts of the animal. In eating from the head to the tail, you’re not only exploring tasty, nutritious new cuts but also helping minimise waste in food production and ensuring the animal is fully appreciated.

If you’re hesitant to dip your toes into the world of Nose to Tail eating, a great first step is heading to the professionals! There are plenty of incredible restaurants around the country that serve exciting dishes, so we’ve whipped up a dining guide for July – our roundup of the best Nose to Tail dishes in the country. Find a restaurant near you here!

If you’re ready to take things into your own hands, ease your way into it with this list of Nose to Tail dishes, ordered in least to most adventurous starting with family favourite: a Steak and Kidney pie.

Steak and Kidney pie

Make the most of inexpensive cuts of beef for this traditional steak and kidney pie recipe which is meltingly tender after long slow cooking. This British family favourite sees a flaky and buttery crust cover a decadent savoury filling of steak and beef kidneys flavoured by a hearty dose of vegetables, red wine, and beef stock.

To assemble

2-3 sheets flaky pastry

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp poppy seeds

 

Preparation

Wash leeks, and quarter and slice the white part.
In a high-sided frypan with a lid, fry leeks in 1 tbsp of olive oil till golden but not brown (about 5 mins).

Add chopped capsicums, celery, sliced mushrooms, thyme, garlic and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Continue frying until mushrooms are softened (about 8 mins). Transfer vegetables to a plate.

Cut any larger steak pieces so all are around 3cm in length. If kidneys are not already chopped, slice them into 2cm sizes, removing any fat. Mix flour, salt and pepper on a plate and toss steak and kidney pieces through the flour mix, so they are lightly but evenly coasted.

Add last tablespoon of olive oil to the frypan, and over a medium heat brown steak and kidney (about 3 minutes). Do this in two batches.

Once browned, return the vegetables to the frypan, add the red wine and beef stock. Turn down heat to low and cook on stove top for 45-60 minutes or until steak is soft but still holds its form. If the sauce is too runny, mix cornflour with 3 tablespoons of water so you have a runny paste and add to sauce mixture, stirring to avoid lumps forming (TIP: add a bit of warm sauce to the cornflour mix first). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

TIP: alternatively for the steak to be really tender, you can pop all this in the crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.

If time allows, cool completely. If short on time, cool until steam has evaporated (20-30 minutes).

Stir parsley through meat mixture.

Assembly

Turn oven to 200°C.

Using a 20cm pie dish, roll out one sheet of pastry on a lightly floured bench to cover the bottom a sides with some pastry hanging over the sides.

Brush the overlapping edge with a little egg wash (whisk egg with a fork). Fill the pie with the filling.

TIP: if your pie dish has deep sides you may need to use 1 1/2-2 sheets of pastry for the base.

Roll the second sheet of pastry big enough to cover the top of the pie, place on top and crimp edges, it’s a rustic pie so simple thumb presses is fine. Turn any excess pastry into some decorative shapes for the top.

Brush top of pie with egg wash and sprinkle over poppy seeds. Make a small slash over the top of pastry (for steam to escape). Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden. Serve with your favourite vegetables.

Used with permission from Recipes.co.nz