My latest attempt at cooking offal was inspired by this recipe from The Paleo Mom. I went with her suggestion to use lamb kidneys, and I’m glad I did because their flavor was mild.
Kidneys are rich in iron, vitamin C, selenium, and vitamin B-12. They also contain significant amounts of other B vitamins, vitamin A, phosphorus zinc, and copper. Below are two sets of nutrition facts for lamb kidney, one is the familiar nutrition facts label and the other shows more micronutrients than are usually shown on labels. Note that the Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio is only 1.1 :1! (For reference, ratios from 1:1 to 4:1 are considered healthy, and many Americans consume unhealthy ratios close to 20:1.)
lamb kidneys nutrition facts 
lamb kidneys nutrition facts with micronutrients
Steak and Kidney Pie
A classic British comfort food provides a way to hide offal in a flavorful dish.
Servings: 8
Calories: 348.3kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 pound lamb kidneys (about 4 kidneys)
- 1 pound stew beef
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp lard or other fat of choice
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 8 oz radishes quartered or sliced
- 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 6 oz portobello mushrooms cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 cups beef bone broth
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp guar gum (optional)
Crust
- 1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 5 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Filling
- Stir the salt and water in a large bowl until the salt is dissolved. (If you use the Redmond Real Salt from the link above, there may be some undissolved minerals at the bottom. This is ok.) Add the kidneys and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Drain and rinse the kidneys and pat them dry. Cut them into 1/2 inch pieces, removing any tubes or fat pockets, and season with half of the kosher salt and half of the black pepper. Season the stew beef with the remaining kosher salt and black pepper.
- Lower your oven rack(s) to the bottom third of the oven to make sure the dutch oven will fit, then preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Heat 1 tbsp of lard in a dutch oven over medium-heat. Cover the bottom of the dutch oven with a single layer of beef(work in batches if necessary) and cook, without stirring, until well browned on one side. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp of lard to the dutch oven. Cover the bottom of the dutch oven with a single layer of kidneys (work in batches if necessary) and cook, without stirring, until lightly browned on one side. Remove kidneys from pan and set aside (in the same bowl as the beef is fine).
- Add 1 tbsp of lard to the dutch oven. Sautee the onions, celery, radishes, and mushrooms. As the vegetables release their liquid, use the liquid to scrape up the flavorful browned bits on the bottom of the dutch oven. When the vegetables are starting to brown and most of the liquid has evaporated, add the garlic and sautee for about 30 seconds.
- Add the bone broth, worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and thyme to the dutch oven and bring to a simmer.
- Stir the beef and kidneys into the simmering mixture, cover, and bake for 90 minutes or until the meat is tender. Remove the lid, sprinkle on the guar gum, and stir. Return the uncovered pot to the oven an bake for an additional 15 minutes or until it is thickened to your desired consistency. (If you omit the guar gum, your sauce won't be as thick, but it will still taste great.)
Crust
- Meanwhile, place the mozzarella cheese and the cream cheese in a large glass bowl and microwave on high power for 90 seconds and stir. If the cheese mixture is not completely melted and smooth, microwave for an additional 30 seconds and stir again. (if you do not wish to use a microwave you can place the bowl over a pan of simmering water until the cheeses are melted. This will take longer, so you might want to start about 15 minutes before you uncover the dutch oven.)
- When the cheese mixture is smooth and melted, add the almond flour, salt, baking soda, garlic powder, and egg. Stir until combined. Using wet hands, knead the dough until it is uniform in color and texture. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and set aside.
Pies
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°F and move the oven rack to the top third of the oven. Divide the thickened filling into 8 ramekins. Flatten each piece of crust dough into a circle and place on each ramekin. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
If you don’t want to use kidneys, you can use an extra pound of stew beef.
Nutrition
Calories: 348.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 8.7g | Protein: 34.4g | Fat: 20.3g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 310.4mg | Sodium: 1595.8mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 3.4g | Sugar: 2.8g | Vitamin A: 1343.4IU | Vitamin C: 12.7mg | Calcium: 180.5mg | Iron: 4.9mg