Learn to make this healthy grain-free, gluten-free and paleo-friendly version of the British steak and kidney pie. This recipe features nutrient-rich ingredients such as kidney meat, bone broth, and healthy fats and ditch the pastry for a creamy and delicious potato topping. Earthy, flavorsome, and comforting, this easy steak and kidney pie makes a perfect dinner for the colder season.
Steak and kidney pie: a traditional recipe made healthier
Steak and kidney pie is a traditional and popular British dish that dates back to the 19th century. Filled with diced kidneys (either beef, lamb or veal), beef, and onions, and traditionally topped with a flaky, buttery savory pastry shell.
Seared in fat and slowed cooked in broth, the meats and vegetables make a delicious gravy that fills the shell (and your mouth) with flavor and gives this dish an extra comforting and earthy touch.
For this gluten-free and paleo-friendly version of steak and kidney pie, I followed most of the traditional recipe for the filling but replaced the pastry shell with a potato-based topping similar to a Sheperd’s pie.
The result is a hearthy and flavoursome comforting meal that all your family will enjoy! If you’re new to nose to tail eating and cooking with organ meats and are worried about not liking the taste of the kidney meat, don’t worry! Kidney meat actually has a pretty mild flavor, and the copious amount of onions and herbs added covers up the kidney flavor enough that everybody can eat this pie.
Nourishing ingredients for this steak and kidney pie
This steak and kidney pie is a great way to getting started on nose to tail eating (read why you should and how here) incorporate more organ meats into your diet and benefit from all the nutrients they contain (read more about the benefits of different organ meats here). Rich in proteins, fats, and essential nutrients, this meal will make you feel full and satisfied while also fueling your body.
Only second to liver in terms of nutrient density, kidney meat and the fat that surrounds them, called suet, support immunity, cell growth and recovery, kidney function, healthy aging, and fertility, and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Homemade bone broth (find my Instant Pot recipe here) add more minerals to this recipe, as well as being a great source of collagen and glycine, which are important in promoting overall health and support healthy gut, skin, and joints. Read more about all the benefits of consuming collagen and gelatin here.
Using healthy saturated fats such as grass-fed butter or (for a paleo-friendly version) ghee, lard, or tallow also enriches this dish with fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids that support the metabolism.
Finally, this recipe is also rich in vegetables such as onions, carrots, potatoes, and sweet potatoes, which are a great source of fibers, as well as extra vitamins and minerals that complement the ones contained in the meat and broth.
How do you source, clean and cut kidneys?
If you never had kidney meat before, don’t let it intimidate you. It’s actually pretty easy to prepare.
First of all, it’s important to source good quality meat preferably from grass-fed and grass-finished pastured animals that are raised without hormones and antibiotics. For organ meat, freshest is also best! This will give you the best source of nutrients and ensure that you’re not eating toxins together with your meat. The best way to go is to buy local meat from small local farms in your area. You can find farmers at the farmer’s market or search online.
Once you have your kidney, whether from beef, veal, mutton, or lamb, it’s pretty easy to prepare them. The easiest way is to cut the kidney in half and then slice it and cut it into cubes. Sometimes, you’ll find a stringy white part in the middle part. That’s called the membrane, and you can remove it. However, don’t remove all the white fat that is inside (and sometimes around) the kidney! This fat is called suet and is delicious, and rich in nutrients!
If you want to hide the kidney flavor before cooking it, you can also soak the meat in cold water with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar for a few hours. Voilà, your kidney meat is ready for the pan!
Ingredients for this Nourishing Steak and Kidney Pie
For the filling:
- 1 lb (500 grams) beef steak or roast
- 10 oz (300 grams) kidney meat (beef, mutton, lamb, or veal)
- 1 large onion
- 1 carrot
- 3 tablespoons of grass-fed butter, ghee, lard or tallow
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups of bone broth
- 2 anchovy fillets (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (optional)
For the topping:
- ~2 lbs (1 kg) of potatoes and/or sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons of butter or ghee
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
- Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
How to make this Nourishing Steak and Kidney Pie
Make the filling:
- Slice and cut the kidney and steak (or roast) into about 1/2-inch pieces. Refer to the instructions above for how to clean and prepare the kidney meat properly
- Add about 2 tablespoons of butter (or ghee or lard or tallow) to a large pot and let it heat over medium/high heat. Once the butter is melted and the pot hot add the meat and let it sear for about 5 minutes until evenly browned. Stir occasionally
- Remove the meat from the pot and set aside, also saving the liquid in a separate bowl or jar
- Chop the onion and carrot (and garlic) finely and sauté in the same pot with one tablespoon of butter and the anchovy fillets (if desired), stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and soft (about 4 minutes)
- Add the meat back into the pot, season with salt and herbs, add the apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of bone broth and 1/2 cup of the meat juice you saved earlier
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and let simmer uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours. Check and stir occasionally and add more bone broth if the liquid is reducing too much. Let almost all the liquid reduce at the end so that the meat in not too liquid, but not dry either
Make the topping:
- While the meat is cooking, boil the potatoes until soft. I cut them into big chunks and cooked them in my Instant Pot on high pressure for 20 minutes on the trivet
- While the potatoes are still hot, mash them with a masher or fork, add the butter (or ghee), and season with salt. Stir vigorously until everything is incorporated and the potatoes are smooth
- Add the egg and incorporate it into the potatoes. If desired, add some grated parmesan cheese
Assemble the pie:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
- Place the filling into a cast iron pan or oven-safe casserole dish and press down gently. Add the potato topping over the meat and distribute it evenly with a spoon or spatula. Decorate it using a fork, if desired. You can also add some more grated parmesan cheese on top
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top begins the turn darker
- Let the pie sit for about 10 minutes before serving it warm
Notes
Steak and kidney pie is traditionally made with chuck steak or similar cuts of beef, but you can also use a less expensive steak or roast such as top sirloin or eye round. The meat will be tender either way thanks to the slow cooking process.
I used a combination of half potatoes and half sweet potatoes for the topping. You can do the same or use only one or the other.
Related posts on Holistic Health
The Benefits of Eating Collagen and Gelatin
The Benefits of a Grain-free Diet and What to Eat
Nose to Tail Eating: Benefits and Recipes
Organ Meats: List, Health Benefits, and Recipes
Health Benefits of Spending Time Outdoors
More organ meats recipes
Beef Tongue Stew in the Instant Pot Recipe
Super Tasty Beef Liver with Sweet Potatoes and Onions
Organ Meat Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Slow-Cooked Beef Heart Stew in the Instant Pot
How to Cook the Best Pan-Fried Beef Liver
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Steak and Kidney Pie (Grain-free, Gluten-free)
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 cast iron skille or casserole dish
- 1 Instant Pot pressure cooker optional
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 lb (500 grams) beef steak or roast
- 10 oz (300 grams) kidney meat beef, mutton, lamb, or veal
- 1 large onion
- 1 carrot
- 3 tablespoons grass-fed butter or ghee, or lard or tallow
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups bone broth
- 2 anchovy fillets optional
- 1 teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic optional
For the topping
- ~2 lbs (1 kg) potatoes and/or sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter or ghee
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
- Grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
Make the filling
- Slice and cut the kidney and steak (or roast) into about 1/2-inch pieces. Refer to the instructions above for how to clean and prepare the kidney meat properly
- Add about 2 tablespoons of butter (or ghee or lard or tallow) to a large pot and let it heat over medium/high heat. Once the butter is melted and the pot hot add the meat and let it sear for about 5 minutes until evenly browned. Stir occasionally
- Remove the meat from the pot and set aside, also saving the liquid in a separate bowl or jar
- Chop the onion and carrot (and garlic) finely and sauté in the same pot with one tablespoon of butter and the anchovy fillets (if desired), stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent and soft (about 4 minutes)
- Add the meat back into the pot, season with salt and herbs, add the apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of bone broth and 1/2 cup of the meat juice you saved earlier
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and let simmer uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours. Check and stir occasionally and add more bone broth if the liquid is reducing too much. Let almost all the liquid reduce at the end so that the meat in not too liquid, but not dry either
Make the topping
- While the meat is cooking, boil the potatoes until soft. I cut them into big chunks and cooked them in my Instant Pot on high pressure for 20 minutes on the trivet
- While the potatoes are still hot, mash them with a masher or fork, add the butter (or ghee), and season with salt. Stir vigorously until everything is incorporated and the potatoes are smooth
- Add the egg and incorporate it into the potatoes. If desired, add some grated parmesan cheese
Assemble and bake the pie
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
- Place the filling into a cast iron pan or oven-safe casserole dish and press down gently. Add the potato topping over the meat and distribute it evenly with a spoon or spatula. Decorate it using a fork, if desired. You can also add some more grated parmesan cheese on top
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top begins the turn darker. Let the pie sit for about 10 minutes before serving it warm
