Beef pudding help!!?

Question

Im making a traditional beef pudding with suet pastry. Ive bought rump steak....but have been told that its not very good for stewing and need to use chuck beef?!? is that right...will rump steak be as nice?? thought it was a better cut of meat than chuck.
thanks

Answer 1

Rump steak will be fine - it's just an expensive cut for use in stewing where a cheaper cut would do.
Chuck or stewing steak tends to have more fat marbling which is good for slow cooking as it lubricates the meat and these cuts tend to have a good flavour.
Rump will be absolutely fine, but a bit of a waste that's all. If you had bought sirloin or fillet I'd advise you to have a steak for dinner, not a pudding!
Suet puddings are naughty but very nice and I used to make my suet puddings in small pudding basins and cook in a pressure cooker (which cuts down cooking time). I'm a yorkshire lass and I like my comfort food.

Answer 2

Beef Steak and Kidney Pudding
900g (2lb) Rump Steak
2 Kidneys
Suet Crust made with milk, using 170g (6oz) Suet to each 450g (1lb) of Flour
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Procure some tender rump steak (that which has been hung a little time) and divide it into pieces about 2.5cm (1 inch) square and cut each kidney into 8 pieces.
Line the dish with suet crust, leaving a small piece of crust to overlap the edge, ensuring there is enough left to make a lid.
Then cover the bottom with a portion of the steak and a few pieces of kidney.
Season with salt and pepper (some add a little flour to thicken the gravy, but it is not necessary) and then add another layer of steak, kidney and seasoning.
Continue until the dish is full, then pour in enough water to come within 5cm (2 inches) of the top of the basin.
Moisten the edges of the crust, cover the pudding with the remaining pastry, press the two crusts together, so that the gravy will not escape and turn up the overhanging pastry.
Wring out a cloth in hot water, flour it and tie up the pudding, put it into boiling water and let it boil for at least 4 hours.
Ensure that the water does not evaporate, topping it up from time to time with boiling water.
When the cloth is removed, cut out a round piece in the top of the crust, to prevent the pudding bursting.
Serve quickly in the basin, either in an ornamental dish, or with a napkin pinned round it.

Time: For a pudding with 900g (2lb) steak and 2 kidneys allow 4 hours.
Sufficient for 6 persons.
Seasonable all the year, but more suitable in winter.

Note: Beef steak pudding may be very much enriched by adding a few oysters or mushrooms.
The above recipe was contributed to this work by a Sussex lady, in which county the inhabitants are noted for their savoury puddings.
It differs from the general way of making them, as the meat is cut up into very small pieces and the basin is differently shaped.
On trial, this pudding will be found far nicer and more full of gravy, than when laid in large pieces in the dish.

Answer 3

It's fine to use rump steak for this kind of thing, but the texture of the meat may come out a bit different than if you used one of the usual 'slow cook' cuts. Rump steak tends to be at its tenderest after being cooked fast and hot. Stewing steak is at its tenderest when it has been cooked slow and cooler. It tends to have a higher fat content throughout it too (as opposed to a strip along the edge), which will keep it more moist.

It is possible to get rump steak to start to tenderise after it's gone tough, but you will need to extend the cooking time a little to do so.

Answer 4

Yorkshire puddings cup plain flour cup beaten eggs cup water whisk all together put some fat or oil into nonstick muffin tins put into hot oven about 180c till smoking, half fill each cup with batter and return to oven bake light brown and puffed up you need to buy a joint 2-3 lbs in weight just buy the best cut you can afford roast at 180-210c till internal temp is 80-95c

Answer 5

I use rump for my stews...when you should really use stewing steak..I prefer rump, just make sure you cook it for a bit longer than usual. Im sure it will be just as tasty.

Answer 6

Rump steak will be fine, just a little more expensive

Answer 7

Each cut has its place. For stews and pies, lower "quality" cuts, with fine fatty veins, ensures the meat tenderises itself during th cooking process. Very lean cuts tend to be more robust and create a less tender pie.

Answer 8

It'll be fine. Just simmer it for about an hour and a half with some onion, stock cube and just covered in water. Thicken before making your pudding.

Answer 9

Suet is, I believe, by definition "fat". Usually animal fat.

If I am understanding you correctly, what you are actually making is mincemeat with suet. In that case, wouldn't you want the cut that has the most fat?