Name: Devilled cheek & kidney pot pie
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 175g plain flour; 1 tbsp English mustard powder; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1kg beef cheek or other braising cut of beef, cut into large chunks; 400g prepared ox kidney or lamb's kidney- ox kidney cut into chunks, lamb's kidneys halved; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 300g bacon lardon or 12 rashers streaky bacon, chopped); 4 carrots chopped; 2 onions chopped; 2 bay leaves; 300ml bottle light ale; 400ml strong beef stock (cubes or fresh); 1 tbsp tomato purée; 5-6 thyme sprigs; 1 tall piece bone marrow on the bone (optional); 400g plain flour; 1 tbsp English mustard powder; 200g lard or butter (for the best results, half of each); 2 eggs beaten

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Devilled cheek & kidney pot pie

Devilled cheek & kidney pot pie

Barney Desmazery

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Serves 6

More effort

Prep: 50 mins

Cook: 3 hrs

A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratingsRate

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Try beef cheek and lamb or ox kidney is this sumptuous pie with homemade pastry. Use a piece of bone marrow as a pie funnel - it's a talking point!

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

175g plain flour
1 tbsp English mustard

powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1kg beef

cheek or other braising cut of beef, cut into large chunks
400g prepared ox kidney

or lamb's kidney- ox kidney cut into chunks, lamb's kidneys halved
3 tbsp vegetable oil
300g bacon lardon

or 12 rashers streaky bacon, chopped)
4 carrots

chopped
2 onions

chopped
2 bay leaves
300ml bottle light ale
400ml strong beef stock

(cubes or fresh)
1 tbsp tomato purée
5-6 thyme

sprigs
1 tall piece bone marrow

on the bone (optional)

For the pastry

400g plain flour
1 tbsp English mustard

powder
200g lard

or butter (for the best results, half of each)
2 eggs

beaten

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal1213
fat69g
saturates25g
carbs80g
sugars10g
fibre7g
protein66g
salt2.4g

Method

step 1

First make the pastry (it’s best if it rests). Put the flour, mustard powder, some flaky sea salt and the lard and/or butter in a food processor and pulse until the texture of breadcrumbs. Add half the egg and pulse again. Add a few tbsp cold water, if needed, until it forms a short pastry. Knead quickly into a ball and chill in the fridge. Can be made 2 days ahead or frozen for 1 month.
step 2

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Mix the flour with the mustard powder and cayenne pepper, then coat the beef chunks and kidneys in the flour – keeping them separate. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole and brown the beef chunks in batches. Set aside, then brown the kidneys and tip into a colander to drain. In the same pan, sizzle the bacon and add the carrots, onions and bay, and cook until browned. Pour over the ale, stock and tomato purée, then reduce quickly, scraping the base of the dish.
step 3

Return the beef chunks to the dish, nestle the thyme into the mix, then season. Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hrs, stirring the kidneys into the stew halfway through. Can now be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days, or frozen for 1 month.
step 4

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To make the pie, tip the stew into a baking dish or shallow casserole. Place a piece of bone marrow in the middle, if using; if not, an upturned egg cup will do the same job. Roll out the pastry to fit the dish with enough to overhang, then drape over the stew, seal the edges and cut off the excess. Use trimmings to make leaves to decorate. Brush the pastry all over with the remaining egg, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake for 40 mins until golden. Leave to rest for 10 mins, then serve the pie with teaspoons for the bone marrow, for those who want it.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2013

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A star rating of 5 out of 5.3 ratings

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