Non-VegetarianNorth West English cuisine Main Course

Rag Pudding

Name: Rag Pudding
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: North West English
Ingredients: 250 g Plain flour; 125 g shredded beef suet; 150 ml cold water; 400 g minced beef; 1 large brown onion; 100 ml Beef stock; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 1 tsp Coarse black pepper

A classic Oldham dish of savoury minced beef and onion encased in tender suet pastry, boiled gently in a traditional cloth.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· North West England

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 120 min
Total: 150 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

250 g Plain flour — plus extra for dusting
125 g shredded beef suet — cold
150 ml cold water — to bind pastry
400 g minced beef — lean, roughly 10% fat
1 large brown onion — very finely chopped
100 ml Beef stock — rich and cooled
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce — for depth of flavour
1 tsp Fine sea salt — divided between pastry and filling
1 tsp Coarse black pepper — freshly cracked

Equipment

•Large saucepan with lid
•Clean muslin cloth squares or pudding cloths
•Kitchen string
•Rolling pin
•Mixing bowl

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 28 g
carbs: 46 g
fibre: 2 g
protein: 26 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Mix the minced beef, finely chopped onion, Worcestershire sauce, cold beef stock, half the salt, and black pepper in a bowl.
2
Combine the plain flour, shredded beef suet, and remaining salt in a separate large mixing bowl.
3
Pour in the cold water gradually, stirring with a knife until a soft, pliable dough comes together.
4
Divide the dough into four equal portions on a lightly floured surface.
5
Roll each portion into a rough circle roughly 5mm thick using a floured rolling pin.
6
Spoon a quarter of the raw seasoned beef filling directly onto the centre of each pastry disc.
7
Dampen the pastry edges with water and crimp (fold and pinch the pastry edge into a seam) to seal tightly.
8
Wrap each pudding in a layer of greaseproof paper, followed by a clean, boiled muslin cloth square.
9
Tie each parcel securely with kitchen string, leaving a small gap for the pastry to expand.
10
Lower the wrapped parcels into a large saucepan of gently simmering water on the hob.
11
Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 2 hours, topping up with boiling water as needed.
12
Carefully lift out the puddings, snip the strings, discard the cloths and paper, and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Always leave roughly one centimetre of slack when tying the cloth around the pudding so the suet pastry has room to puff up. If using new cloth, boil it in plain water beforehand to remove any residual fabric starches.