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Mincemeat
This is my
very favorite mincemeat recipe, one that my mother and I used for
years.
I have noted on the well-worn recipe card, “This is a VERY old
recipe!” Well, how old is it?
I know not. What I do know is that it is totally delicious.
It is not too late to make this now for Christmas, although my mother
and I probably would have made ours in October...
3
cups peeled, cored and chopped tart apples
1 whole orange, minced, including juice and peel
2 cups ground cooked roast beef
2 cups ground cooked roast pork
2 cups hard cider
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup ground suet (from your butcher)
1 cup dark raisins
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
In
a large saucepan, combine the apples, the minced orange and juice, ground cooked
beef, ground cooked pork, cider, brown sugar, ground
suet, both raisins,
lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves.
Cook the mixture over
moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour
30 minutes,
or until thick.
Stir in 1/2 cup brandy. Transfer the mince-
meat to sterilized Mason-type jars
and seal the jars with lids. Makes
about 7 cups.
(Note:
The mincemeat can be stored without the canning process,
for several
weeks in the refrigerator, or 3 to 4 months in the freezer.)
So, now
you have luscious, well-ripened homemade mincemeat! (Your
friends
and
relatives will be impressed. Trust me. And it was not all that
difficult,
was it?) What do you do with it? First of all,
the obvious...
Mincemeat
Pie
No
problem. Just make up a batch of your favorite
pie dough.
Preheat
the oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll half
of the pastry
into a 12-inch circle. Then fit it into a 9-inch glass pie plate
and
trim the dough evenly along edge. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Spoon
about 4 cups
(or more) of mincemeat into the chilled pie crust.
On
a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining dough to a 12-inch
circle.
Cover the filling, trim evenly, and press to seal edges, and crimp
decoratively. Cut small slits in the dough to allow steam to escape while
the pie is baking. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet (to catch any
juices that might bubble over during baking.
Bake
the pie for 15 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F., and
bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling
bubbles, about 45 to 50
minutes. Cool the pie on a wire rack.
You can
substitute two 27-ounce jars of purchased mincemeat for the homemade,
if you
prefer. I suggest you jazz it up a tad with some brandy or rum, and
perhaps
a bit of grated orange and lemon zest. Or a splash or two of
Grand Marnier!
And what
if you want to make homemade "mincemeat", but prefer not to use
any meat? That is not a problem either...
3
pounds baking apples (such as Jonathan or
McIntosh), peeled,
cored, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/4 cup unsulfured (light) molasses
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
In
a heavy large saucepan combine all of the above ingredients and
cook over
low heat until the apples are very tender and the mixture is
thick, stirring
occasionally, about 50 minutes. Cool completely. (The mincemeat can
be prepared
up to 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Proceed as above.
(Cranberry Mincemeat from Bon Appetit archives.)
And then
what? One of my all-time favorites is this scrumptious Christmas
Mincemeat Cake. Or Braided
Mincemeat Bread! And then there is...
Old-Fashioned Mincemeat
Sauce
Bon Appetit December 1998
"Serve this quick and easy sauce
warm over
vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt."
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
3/4 cup purchased mincemeat from
jar [or
homemade!]
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup brandy
4 3 x 3/4-inch strips orange peel
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
3 tablespoons whipping cream
Combine first 7 ingredients in heavy medium
saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Reduce
heat; simmer until sauce thickens slightly and is reduced to 1 1/2 cups,
stirring occasionally, about
4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cream.
(Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat before
serving.)
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Recipes
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