Kidney and Beef Pie

Recipe No. 344 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Kidneys — 10 pounds
• Water — as needed
• Beef, carcass — 35 pounds
• or — as needed
• Beef, boneless — 25 pounds
• Salt — 6 ounces (¼ mess kit cup)
• Pepper — ½ ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Flour, sifted — 2 pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)
• Fat — 1 pound (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Water — 3 quarts (3 No. 56 dippers)
• Biscuit dough — as needed

Directions

1. Slice kidneys; wash in cold water. Cover with fresh water; cover pans tightly. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Mix salt, pepper and ½ flour together.
3. Cut beef into 1-inch cubes. Roll in flour mixture; cook in fat until brown.
4. Add water; braise in slow oven (300° F.) 1 to 1½ hours or until tender. Drain.
5. Mix remaining flour and a small amount of cold water; stir until smooth. Add slowly to hot beef liquid. Heat to boiling point; boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Combine kidneys, beef, and gravy; place in baking pans.
7. Prepare biscuit dough (recipe No. 26); cover meat mixture with dough.
8. Bake in hot oven (425° F.) until brown.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Kidneys — 12¾ oz Water — to taste Beef, carcass — 2 lb 12¾ oz or — to taste Beef, boneless — 2 lb Salt — ½ oz Pepper — a pinch Flour, sifted — 2½ oz Fat — 1¼ oz Water — 15⅓ tbsp Biscuit dough — to taste

Use stock drained from kidneys in soups.

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 344, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.