Beef Rag Pudding

Cut: Diced braising beef | Serves: 4
Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: About 4–5½ hours total, plus cooling the filling
Traditional steamed suet pastry filled with tender beef and gravy.

INGREDIENTS
- 700g diced braising beef
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion and 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 400ml beef stock, plus extra if needed
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp English mustard and 1 tsp thyme
- 300g self-raising flour
- 150g beef suet
- About 150ml cold water
- Salt and black pepper

METHOD
1. Brown the beef in oil. Soften onion and carrots, stir in the plain flour, then gradually add stock.
2. Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard and thyme. Cover and simmer gently for 2–3 hours, until tender, adding stock as needed. Cool the filling before assembling; if preparing ahead, cool and refrigerate within 2 hours.
3. Mix self-raising flour, suet and a pinch of salt. Add cold water gradually to make a soft dough.
4. Reserve dough for the lid. Roll out the remainder and line a greased 1.2–1.5 litre pudding basin. Add the filling and seal with the pastry lid.
5. Cover with pleated baking parchment and foil and tie securely. Stand on a trivet in a deep pan; add boiling water halfway up the basin.
6. Cover and steam for 2–2½ hours, topping up the water without letting the pan boil dry. Check the filling is steaming hot throughout before serving.
7. Remove carefully, rest briefly and turn out onto a plate.

KITCHEN TIP
Allow time for both cooking stages. The original book’s short headline timing did not include them fully.