Today we’re off to the United Kingdom—a country whose cuisine has been built for centuries on hearty, honest dishes with deep flavour. Two iconic recipes served in every self-respecting British pub and at every family Sunday table.
Golden beef under a crisp crust, slow-roasted in the oven to a perfect pink centre, surrounded by Yorkshire puddings crisp on the outside and airy within, roasted vegetables, and thick meat gravy. This isn’t just food—it’s a British Sunday ritual.
Ingredients:
• Beef topside — 1.5 kg
• Potatoes — 800 g
• Large carrots — 3
• Parsnips — 2
• Onions — 2
• Garlic — 4 cloves
• Olive oil — 4 tbsp
• Butter — 50 g
• Fresh rosemary sprigs — 4
• Fresh thyme sprigs — 6
• Coarse sea salt — to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper — to taste
• English mustard (powdered or prepared) — 1 tbsp
For the Yorkshire puddings:
• Eggs — 3
• Milk — 200 ml
• Plain flour — 130 g
• Salt — a pinch
• Vegetable oil — for the moulds
For the gravy:
• Meat juices from the roasting tray — all of it
• Flour — 1 tbsp
• Dry red wine — 150 ml
• Beef stock — 400 ml
• Worcestershire sauce — 1 tsp
Method:
Step 1. Preparing the meat.
Take the beef out of the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking—the meat needs to come to room temperature. Pat it completely dry with paper towels. Rub it all over with olive oil (1 tbsp), then generously season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and English mustard. Place the meat in a deep roasting tray on a bed of 2 onions cut in half and garlic cloves crushed with the flat of a knife. Tuck in the rosemary and thyme sprigs.
Step 2. Roasting the meat.
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Put the tray with the meat on the middle shelf and roast for 20 minutes at high heat—until a golden-brown crust forms all over. Then lower the temperature to 170°C and continue roasting for 25 minutes per 500 g for medium doneness. For a 1.5 kg piece, that’s roughly 1 hour 15 minutes after lowering the temperature. The internal temperature on a thermometer should read 55–58°C for medium.
Step 3. Preparing the vegetables.
While the meat is in the oven, peel the potatoes and cut them into large pieces, roughly 5×5 cm. Peel the carrots and cut them lengthwise into quarters, 7–8 cm long. Peel and cut the parsnips in the same way as the carrots. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 8–10 minutes—until their edges start to soften and crumble slightly (this is what gives them their crisp crust in the oven). Drain them, return the potatoes to the pot, and shake vigorously 3–4 times to roughen up the surface.
Step 4. Roasting the vegetables.
Pour 3 tbsp of olive oil into a separate roasting tray and add 30 g of butter. Put it in the oven for 5 minutes, until the fat starts to smoke. Carefully place the potatoes, carrots, and parsnips in the scorching oil in a single layer—you should hear a lively sizzle. Season with salt and pepper. Roast at 190°C for 45–50 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, until a deep golden, crisp crust forms on all sides.
Step 5. Yorkshire puddings.
Make the batter in advance, at least 30 minutes before baking. Beat the eggs with the milk and a pinch of salt. Sift in the flour and whisk it into the liquid until smooth—it should have the consistency of single cream. Let the batter rest. Pour 1 tsp of vegetable oil into each cup of a muffin tin and place it in the oven at 220°C for 5 minutes—the oil must be fiercely hot and just beginning to smoke. Quickly pour the batter into the cups, filling them 2/3 full. Return to the oven for 20–25 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR! The puddings should rise 3–4 times in volume, turn golden brown, and be hollow inside.
Step 6. Resting the meat and making the gravy.
Remove the meat from the roasting tray, transfer it to a board, and cover with foil and a warm towel. Let it rest for 20–30 minutes—the juices will redistribute, and the meat will become tender and succulent. Place the tray with the meat juices and caramelised onions over medium heat on the stove. Add 1 tbsp of flour, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine, scraping all the dark bits off the bottom with a spatula—they are what give the gravy its depth. Reduce the wine for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock and add the Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until thickened—the gravy should coat the back of a spoon in a thin layer. Strain through a sieve.
Step 7. Serving.
Slice the beef across the grain into 7–8 mm-thick slices. Arrange on warm plates. Add the crisp potatoes, roasted carrots, and parsnips alongside. Set down a Yorkshire pudding. Pour over plenty of hot gravy. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.
💡 Fact: The tradition of the Sunday Roast dates back to the reign of Henry VII, when royal guards were given roast beef on Sundays in return for their loyal service. That is why the guards at the Tower of London are still called “Beefeaters”—“beef eaters.”
A sumptuous covered pie with a golden, crisp, flaky puff-pastry lid, concealing a thick, dark, wildly fragrant filling of slow-braised beef and tender kidneys in a rich ale sauce. Every slice is an explosion of deep, meaty umami.
Ingredients:
• Beef (shoulder or neck) — 700 g
• Beef or lamb kidneys — 250 g
• Onions — 2
• Carrot — 1
• Plain flour — 3 tbsp (for dredging)
• Dark ale or stout (for example, Guinness) — 330 ml
• Beef stock — 250 ml
• Tomato paste — 1 tbsp
• Worcestershire sauce — 2 tsp
• Bay leaves — 2
• Fresh thyme — 4 sprigs
• Butter — 30 g
• Vegetable oil — 2 tbsp
• Salt — to taste
• Black pepper — to taste
• Puff pastry (ready-made, made with real butter) — 500 g
• Egg — 1 (for brushing)
Method:
Step 1. Preparing the kidneys.
Rinse the kidneys under cold running water. Cut each one in half lengthwise, then use a sharp knife to remove the white core—the ducts and fat—which gives them bitterness. Cut the kidneys into cubes roughly 2×2 cm. Soak in cold milk or salted water for 30 minutes—this will remove their distinctive smell. Drain in a colander and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.
Step 2. Browning the meat.
Cut the beef into 3×3 cm cubes, removing any large membranes and sinews. In a deep bowl, mix the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the beef and kidney cubes in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. In a heavy pot—a Dutch oven or a casserole—heat the vegetable oil over high heat until it starts to smoke lightly. Brown the meat in small batches—don’t overcrowd the bottom!—for 2–3 minutes, turning with tongs, until a dark brown crust forms on all sides. This is crucial for flavour—the Maillard crust creates depth. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate.
Step 3. Braising the filling.
Add the butter to the same pot. Slice the onions into 3 mm-thick half-rings and dice the carrot into 1×1 cm cubes. Fry over medium heat for 5–7 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden. Add the tomato paste, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the ale—it should hiss and bubble furiously. Use a wooden spatula to scrape every dark bit off the bottom of the pot. Return the meat, pour in the stock, and add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and braise for 1.5–2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. It’s ready when the beef pulls apart easily with a fork and the sauce has thickened to the consistency of thick sour cream. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and reduce for 10–15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Let the filling cool completely—hot filling will melt the pastry.
Step 4. Assembling the pie.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Spoon the cooled filling into a ceramic or ovenproof pie dish—24–26 cm in diameter, or rectangular—filling it 3/4 full. Roll out the puff pastry into a 4–5 mm-thick sheet, 3 cm wider than the dish all the way around. Cut 2 cm-wide strips from the trimmings. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg and stick the pastry strips around it—this is the “bridge rim” for the lid. Brush the strips with egg once more.
Step 5. Sealing and decorating.
Cover the dish with the rolled-out pastry sheet. Press the edges onto the bridge rim and trim away the excess with a knife. Crimp the edges with a fork to create a decorative fluted pattern—this also seals the pie. Cut 2–3 small, 2 cm-long slashes in the centre of the lid—these are steam vents; without them, the pastry will go soggy. Brush the whole surface generously with beaten egg—it will give the crust a lacquered golden colour.
Step 6. Baking.
Place the pie on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 10–15 minutes. Total time—35–45 minutes. Signs it’s ready: the pastry has risen and turned a deep golden brown; when you tap the lid, it gives a dull, hollow sound; fragrant steam rises from the slashes.
Step 7. Serving.
Let the pie rest for 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven—the filling will thicken slightly and won’t run out when sliced. Cut into portions with a wide spatula. Serve with mashed potatoes and green peas—this is the classic British accompaniment. If you like, pour over the remaining gravy.
💡 Fact: Steak and Kidney Pie is such an important part of British culture that it appears in the works of Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie. In the Victorian era, the pie was sold by street vendors—“piemen”—and was considered food for every class: from the dockworkers of the East End to the gentlemen of London clubs.