35 replies to this topic

[jackal10]

The mincemeat I know and love is NOT cooked until the final cooking in a pie.
The suet is the kideney fat chopped small, not melted or clarified.
If you add meat, its also chopped and raw, and the high levels of alcohol and sugar act as preservative.

I have put up old recipes on a sperate thread

[Jensen]

My friend, whose son-in-law owns an upscale butcher shop in the Bay Area, was able to bring me some suet (yeah!) so I'm now almost set to make my mincemeat. Can you tell me what the yield of your recipe is? I don't have the pretty little glass sealers but would like to pick some up tonight. I reckon it's not going to hurt the mincemeat to sit in the bowl for a little while

Thanks!

===

I found some pint jars stored away and, to answer my own question ... 7 pints!

Edited by Jensen, 06 December 2003 - 04:48 AM.

[tjaehnigen]

OK, here is a follow-up question about mincemeat pie...

We adapted a James Beard prepaation using my wife's great-grandmother's ingredients. My main question is, how 'wet' is the mixture supposed to be? We dumped a whole bottle of port into the 6 pounds of meat, 1 pound of suet, 3 pounds of raisins, 3 pounds of apples, 1.5 pounds of currants, etc mixture and it was still way too dry looking to me.

So, for better or worse, here is what we did to augment the mixture to make it more wet--

we added about another quarter bottle of port, maybe 6-8 oounces of cognac, 6-8 ounces of sherry and a good measure of the beef broth that was created when we boiled the beef prior to grinding it. It got pretty wet, but there was still no amount of liquid sitting in the bottom of the pot -- which I assume should be there to soak up the liquid over time.

Is the mixture wet enough without there being any liquid to further be sucked up over time, or should I keep monitoring the wetness and just add some as needed? And what liquid should I use -- more booze, beef broth (which is unsalted) or both or something else (water?)???

Help!

[jackal10]

I use rum or brandy, and add just enough to damp the mixture - maybe a couple of glasses. However I don't have the meat, and even if I did I would have equal amounts to the suet - about half your amount. Also a lot more fruit - I use 4-5lbs fruit to 1lb suet, 1lb sugar, and if used 1lb meat.

If you eat it cold then a broth that will jelly might be appropriate

[tjaehnigen]

Interesting. Well, we're using a recipe from my wife's great grandmother, without any instructions, so we're kind of winging it. I am tending to think we need to go more alcohol than broth but I don't want to kill everyone when they eat this. Still, it has to go in the oven for a while in the pie crust, so perhaps some of the alcohol will 'burn off'??

[Dan Ryan]

Fantastic course. I understand you planted your own quince tree. Superb idea, I can't believe you think you might have too many. What about making some booze infusions? In the Balkans they use quince to make a delicious schnapps, but as home distilling is frowned on (ok, illegal) in the UK, perhaps baking and infusing is the way to go. I make quince cheese myself, and have started experimenting with it as a cocktail ingredient. Zubrowka bison grass vodka seems the obvious partner.

Edited by Dan Ryan, 15 April 2004 - 10:24 AM.