Recipe: mincemeat
Description: mincemeat is a good old fashion sweet meat mixture that is presearved with liquor. good in pies and tarts and in the center of a cookie, cook time includes the time it needs to set.
Ingredients: [{"text": "1 lb venison or 1 lb lean beef"}, {"text": "1 quart apple cider (or 2 cups cider and 2 cups cranberry juice)"}, {"text": "1 cup maple syrup"}, {"text": "1 cup brown sugar, packed"}, {"text": "1 teaspoon cinnamon"}, {"text": "1 teaspoon mace"}, {"text": "1/4 teaspoon allspice"}, {"text": "1/4 teaspoon nutmeg"}, {"text": "1/4 teaspoon clove"}, {"text": "1/4 lb suet or 1/4 lb butter"}, {"text": "1/2 lb currants (1 1/2 cups firmly packed)"}, {"text": "1/2 lb golden raisin (1 1/2 cups firmly packed)"}, {"text": "1/2 cup dried cranberries"}, {"text": "1 minced lemon, juice and rind of (or orange if you like it less tart)"}, {"text": "1/4 cup liquor"}]
Instructions: Trim the meat (i used the the beef) if necessary and dice it into small cubes.
Pour the cider into a large saucepan or small kettle and add the sweeteners and spices.
Add the meat and bring this mixture to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.
Remove the meat with a slotted spoon, turn off the heat and add the currants, raisins, cranberries and lemon rind and juice to the hot cider/broth mixture.
Let these steep while you grind or mince the meat along with the suet, if you're using it.
(Suet gives depth to the flavor of the mixture-- I did not use the Suet).
Return the meat (and suet) to the fruit mixture, bring back to a boil and then down to a simmer for about 1/2 hour.
Boil off enough liquid so the mixture is thick.
If you opted not to use suet, melt and blend in the butter at this point.
Butter was used in place of suet in years past but was considered a luxury in a pie.
Since these days we're more apt to have butter around, it may not be quite such a luxury for us and may be more to our 20th century taste.
After the mixture has cooled, add 1/4 cup of"spirits.
"This may be anything brandy or rum This adds flavor and helps preserve the mincemeat.
Cover and store mincemeat in a cool place for 2 or more weeks if you have time.
Give it an occasional stir (clockwise!) and add 2 or 3 more tablespoons of spirits if you wish.
