Steak and Kidney Pie

Cook the meat in its liquorice-dark gravy first and then assemble the pie later with the made, cooled filing. The advantage of the two-pronged attack is that the meat is at its best when cooked, on low heat, for a good long time and the pastry needs a shorter time at a higher heat to keep it crisp but yieldingly rich. Another advantage is that you can cook the meat in advance. I make a suet crust here (as one would, indeed, for a steak and kidney pudding), rather than shortcrust, for two re