Steak & Kidney vs. Beef Pot Pie

My husband has gotten me listening to an old BBC radio show called "Steptoe and Son" .... For us Americans, it's very simu,at to "Sanford & Son" from the 1970s/80s 

Well I've heard of Steak & Kidney Pies for years -- since I was a girl.  I thought I saw Julia Childs make one using gelatin to hold it all in place in a mold ... So I've always avoided it.  I like Spam a lot, and kidneys hold o fear for me, but I just thought - all that clear gel, yuck ... So I avoided it.

Well in this mornings episode they were eating steak & kidney pie ... I thought - okay, I'm older now I guess I could give it a try ... So I started looking for recipes online ...

Imagine my shock when I found out that it is basically pot pie!  I love pot pie!

There's a few differences ...

First Beef Pot Pie:

I tend to use left over stew or thickened soup for the filling with extra veggies added in.  But it's all cooked and ready for the crust.

Steak & Kidney Pie

Beef is browned in large cubes, kidney is cut into small ones.  Onions & carrots are diced very small so they "melt" into the filling, lending their flavor but not their texture.

Beer is added to the sauce as well for extra flavor, but I'm sure most of the alcohol is cooked out since you have to simmer the filling for 2 1/2 - 3 hours!  I suggest making the filling the night before since it should be at room temp before filling the pie shell.

But other than that ... They are basically the same!

So I guess I will have to make some Steak & Kidney pie here fairly soon ... As soon as I can find some kidneys that is.  Liver is easier to locate, kidney, not so much.