Instructions

1. Prepare the greaseproof paper, foil and string for steaming, following the instructions on our "How to" guide (see footnotes for link).
2. Peel and very finely dice the onion; you need about 2 teaspoons. Finely chop enough parsley leaves to give you 2 teaspoons. Put both in a large bowl.
3. Trim the beef of excess surface fat and sinew and cut into cubes of about 2.5 cm. Prepare the kidneys by removing the large lobes from the central fat and tubes. Unless the lobes are very large, leave them whole.
4. Put the beef and kidney into a large sieve. Sprinkle over the 2 tablespoons flour and shake until the meat is lightly coated. Add the meat to the onion and parsley. Mix together and season well with salt and pepper.
5. Generously butter a 1 litre pudding basin. Divide the pastry into 2 unequal pieces, two-thirds and one-third. On a floured surface, pat out the larger piece into a circle about 2 cm thick and 15 cm in diameter, using a rolling pin or your hands, then use to line the pudding basin (see footnotes for our guide).
6. Fill the pastry with the meat mixture, without packing it too tightly, to leave room for water. Add water to come just below the top pieces of meat.
7. Roll the remaining piece of pastry to a circle 5 mm thick, big enough to just cover the pudding filling. Place it on top, wet the edges and press them together securely so that the lid is sealed to the inside of the pastry lining the pudding basin, not around the outside.
8. Cover with the greaseproof paper and foil, and make a string handle.
9. Stand the covered basin on a trivet, or 3 pieces of cutlery placed in a triangle, in a saucepan of boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the pudding basin. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Alternatively, use a steamer. Steam the pudding for 5–6 hours, taking care to top up the boiling water occasionally so it doesn’t boil dry. It is important to keep the water at a generous boil for the first 30–45 minutes, to ensure the suet in the pastry starts to melt and set with the flour and to achieve a good golden colour.
10. After steaming, carefully remove the pudding basin from the saucepan, using the string handle, and remove the string, paper and foil. Run a knife around the top rim of the basin to release the pudding, invert a plate over the pudding and turn it the right way up so the pudding basin is upside down. Using oven gloves, carefully lift off the pudding basin. Serve immediately, with seasonal vegetables.