Steak-and-Kidney Pudding

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper; then in a large deep ovenproof saute pan over high heat, heat lard or oil until hot. Saute beef cubes until browned; add onions and carrots and saute 10 minutes more. Add kidney and continue sauteing another 15 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Stir in flour and bake for 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from oven and place over medium-low heat. Scraping up whatever sticks to the bottom, add stock, mushrooms and Worcestershire. Simmer and stir occasionally for 45 minutes. Season to taste, cool, transfer to a container and refrigerate overnight.

3. Step 3

   Cut off ⅕ of each suet pastry disk and roll the remaining pastry into circles about 10 ½ inches in diameter and 1/16 inch thick.

4. Step 4

   Line 6 18- to 20-ounce pudding basins or 5-inch ramekins with the pastry, pressing dough evenly around the sides. Fill with steak and kidney mixture. Roll out the reserved pastry and cover each pudding, crimping the edges closed.

5. Step 5

   Here's the weird part: wrap each basin entirely in plastic wrap. (This makes it a steamed pudding rather than a browned pie.) Tie string around the outside (to keep plastic wrap snug) and put puddings on racks in pans of simmering water, covered, for 2 hours, making sure the water stays ⅔ the way up the sides of the basins.

6. Step 6

   Remove the puddings from the water and remove the plastic wrap. Just before serving, cut a small hole in top of each and insert as many oysters as you like. (At Rules they put one oyster inside the pudding and another on the side in its shell.)