Rag pudding is a savoury dish consisting of
minced meat and
onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onio ...
s wrapped in a
suet
Suet is the raw, hard fat of beef, lamb or mutton found around the loins and kidneys.
Suet has a melting point of between 45 °C and 50 °C (113 °F and 122 °F) and congelation between 37 °C and 40 °C (98.6& ...
pastry, which is then cooked in a
cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is a loose-woven gauze-like carded cotton cloth used primarily in cheesemaking and cooking.
Grades
Cheesecloth is available in at least seven different grades, from open to extra-fine weave. Grades are distinguished by the nu ...
.
[ Invented in ]Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham ...
, the dish is also popular in Bury and Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
, and is eaten across the Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...
area.[ Rag pudding pre-dates ceramic basins and plastic boiling bags in cookery, and so the cotton or ]muslin
Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured.
Muslin of uncommonly delicate hands ...
rag cloths common in Oldham were used in the dish's preparation during the 19th century. Rag pudding is similar in composition and preparation to steak and kidney pudding
Steak and kidney pudding is a traditional British main course in which beef steak and beef, veal, pork or lamb kidney are enclosed in suet pastry and slow-steamed on a stovetop.
History and ingredients
Steak puddings (without kidney) were part o ...
, and may be purchased from traditional local butcher's shops in Lancashire.
References
Citations
Bibliography
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Further reading
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External links
Rag pudding with mash recipe
on channel4.com, as appeared on '' Come Dine with Me''
{{Portal, Food
English cuisine
Savory puddings
Culture in Lancashire
Oldham
Ground meat