For the Love of Mincemeat

[ChesterV]

One of the "lost" recipes that is rarely made anymore, mincemeat. I love mincemeat, but it's been rare occasions that I find it anywhere, much less find any pies, tarts, or mincemeat pastries of any kind anywhere. I don't know why it isn't made anymore, there is ready mincemeat filling in jars on store shelves, it's not any more costly to make than any other fruit pastry, and it's super-freeking-awesome yummie!

Do you like mincemeat? Do you make mincemeat? Do you have your favorite mincemeat recipe?

https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/PieHistory/MincemeatPie.htm

 

[ChesterV]

Original mincemeat had bits of meat and fat in it, made with leftover bits of scraps from baking, which were all minced up and put into a pie shell.

Here is one of the supposed original recipes:

Original Mincemeat for pies

Ingredients:

4 pounds venison, elk, or beef
Water
2 1/2 cups suet, finely chopped or grated*
7 1/2 cups chopped tart apples
3 cups liquid (liquid from meat of your choice it was cooked in)
5 cups granulated sugar
3 cups apple cider
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 cups raisins
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
Juice of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 oranges
1 cup brandy or sherry

* Suet is firm beef fat. Suet can be collected by trimming the hard white fat from steaks and other cuts of beef. You can also purchase packages of suet from your local butcher or from the meat department of your local grocery store. It then needs to be coarsely grated to make it ready to use. It also must be kept refrigerated prior to use and used within a few days of purchase, just like meat.


Instructions:


Trim fat from meat of your choice and discard.

In a large heavy pan over medium heat, place meat; cover with water and simmer until the meat is tender. Remove from heat and refrigerate meat in the cooking liquid overnight.

Remove from refrigerator and remove meat from liquid. Remove all fat from top of liquid; discard the fat and reserve the remaining liquid. Separate meat from bones, discard bones. Chop cooked meat into small cubes.

In a large pot, combine meat cubes, beef suet, apples, reserved liquid, sugar, apple cider, molasses, cider vinegar, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, lemon juice, and orange juice; simmer for 2 hours. remove from heat. Add brandy or sherry and mix together.

It is best to let mincemeat stand at least a couple of weeks before using. I store mine in the refrigerator. Freeze in air-tight containers for longer storage.

 

[ChesterV]

Mincemeat Pie Filling
(modern British version according to online recipes)


Ingredients

250g raisin
375g currant
100ml brandy
zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½
300g shredded suet
250g dark brown sugar
85g chopped mixed peel (the recipe didn't state what this meant)
½ small nutmeg, grated
1 large Bramley apple, peeled and grated


Method

Soak the raisins and currants in the brandy and lemon juice for 1 hr until plumped up, then drain and set the brandy aside. Mix all the ingredients together in the order given, then pour in the brandy when everything else is well mixed. Spoon and press into sterilised jars, to exclude any air (the easiest way to sterilise jars is to run them through a dishwasher on its hottest setting). Cover and leave for at least a fortnight. Will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months.

 

[ChesterV]

Mincemeat Pie Filling
(modern American version)


Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups diced cooked beef
• 4 cups chopped apples
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle juice
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 1 large orange, peeled, sectioned, and cut into bite-size
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup sorghum
• 1 cup beef broth

Directions

1. Combine the cooked beef, apples, raisins, sweet pickle vinegar, pineapple, orange, salt, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, sorghum and 1 cup beef broth. Store in the refrigerator or freeze until ready to use.

 

[ChesterV]

Mincemeat Pie Filling
(meatless/vegetarian style)


Ingredients:

5 apples, chopped finely
2 cups of mixed raisins, currants and sultanas
3/4 cup candied peel, or dessicated coconut if you’re going for something a little different (I was)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almonds, chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 fresh freshly-grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons mixed spice (a mix of cloves, ginger and cayenne pepper)
1.5 cups coconut oil (you can also use vegan suet if you have it)
zest and juice of one lemon
zest and juice of one orange
1/4 cup brandy (or rum, if you’re feeling adventurous)

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the brandy
Stir well, then cover and leave overnight to allow the flavours to mix
After a good long resting period, tip everything into a large pan and set to a medium heat
Add in the brandy, and cook over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced and your whole house smells good enough to eat
Take off the heat and allow to cool
Store in sterilized glass containers, or use immediately in Mince Pies

 

[ChesterV]

Since making Mincemeat Pie is so very simple, I won't bother posting the recipe. But if you have a special version to post, then go for it.

Mincemeat Tart


1 Tart crust (any type)
8 ounces of cream cheese
1 T. of confectioners sugar
1 t. vanilla or amaretto extract
2 cups mincemeat filling


Make your tart crust that you prefer.
Cream together cream cheese, sugar, and extract. Spread cream cheese mixture on bottom of tart crust.
Spread mincemeat filling on top of cream cheese.
Place into oven at about 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

****your oven temps may vary due to different styles of ovens, adjust normally.

****if you blind bake crust, be sure to cover edges of tart crust with aluminum foil or crust cover so it doesn't burn during second bake.


Once out of the oven and cooled, you can decorate with glazed fruit pieces, baked pie crust shapes, glaze with apricot glaze, or leave as is. You can also serve hot with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or hard whipped cream.

 

[ChesterV]

Mincemeat Empanadas


Ingredients:

Mincemeat
Pie crust, Empanada crust, canned biscuits, or mini pie shells



Coatings:

Egg wash (before baking)
Cinnamon Sugar (before or after baking)
Powdered Sugar (after baking)
Icing Glaze (after baking)


Homemade pie crust or Empanada crust:

Once rolled out to normal pie crust thickness, cut out 4-6 inch round circles of crust. Cut out as many as you need for your bake.

If you are using canned biscuits, press them out or roll them out until they are about 6 inches across. Canned biscuit dough will usually shrink in baking. Use method below to fill and seal.

If you are using mini pie shells, place out on counter and let come to room temperature. These should be pliable enough at room temp to lay out and make flat. Use method below to fill and seal.

Once cut, spoon your mincemeat filling on half of the crust circle. Be sure to leave room on the edge for the pie crust to be folded over and joined.

Once you have your filling inserted, fold over pie crust and pinch together sides or use fork. You can also brush a bit of water or egg wash on inside edge of crust before sealing, as this will help fuse the pie crust edges together and help keep from any oozing juices while baking.

Place Empanada's on a cookie sheet, use a coating of your choice, if any. You don't need a coating unless you want one.

Bake at 350 degrees in middle of oven until golden brown. Depending on your oven, this can be 10-25 minutes.

Once baked, remove from oven. If using cinnamon sugar, sprinkle on while hot. Otherwise wait till they have cooled off to use any other coating. But again, you don't have to have a coating unless you want one.

 

[Jean S.]

You made me hungry for this. I remember my Grandmother (late 1950's) making this, don't know if it was from scratch or not. I just remembered I really liked it.

 

[Apocalypso]

I wish I could remember whether the mincemeat that was around for the holidays in my family contained meat or not. I don't think anyone in my immediate family made them, but they were bought locally. I'm sure they contained suet.

You're right, I really don't see it around, and maybe it's just not a Florida thing, where I've lived for the past 30 years.

Wow, a cup and a half of coconut oil for your vegetarian style mincemeat seems like a lot of oil, did it come out oily?

 

[Jean S.]

My dear Chester,

I can't thank you enough for starting this thread. I have had tears in my eyes and joy in my heart because I just tasted something I haven't had since I was 5, and I am 60+ now. I found a Mincemeat in a jar, which is fabulous. I just made my first pie, and no I didn't make the dough either, nonbaker person that I am, but just tasting it out of the jar brought back such a rush of memories, that I am super excited to give a pie to everyone as the flavor is delicious.

Thanks for waking up the 5 yr. old in me, as I loved it then, and am so glad someone makes a super good filling (yes it has beef in the ingredients too).

Thanks for a wonderful Christmas memory reawakened in me...........due to you.

 

[retired baker]

all these recipes are not savory pies, they're dessert.

Minced meat pie contains no fruit.
Mincemeat was all the scraps leftover from christmas feast, meat, fruit, booze, everything.

French minced meat pie is called tourtiere and the best version is made with puff dough.

the british version is similar but has some gravy and uses pie dough.