Meemaw's Pork Mincemeat and a Christmas cake.

[andiesenji]

Meemaw's Pork Mincemeat and a Christmas cake.

This is a recipe for pork mincemeat - a very old recipe from my paternal great-grandmothr and grandmother via my dad's eldest sister, 101 years young as of 8/6/06.

My aunt said that one of the "problems" of making this stuff was that if Meemaw (and now her) turns her back after the roasting, some of it would "disappear" and she would catch one of her sons tucking into a leftover biscuit with a bit too much gusto.

This is a reduced size recipe. Meemaw made 8 quarts in a batch and usually made two or three batches. My aunt cut it down when she began making it 40 or 50 years ago. She hasn't made it for several years but our discussion has reminded her just how good it was and she is going to make a batch this week.

She said her husband liked it layered in between layers of "Johnnycake" or sweetened cornbread.

She would make 4 or 5 thin layers of sweetened cornbread, with buttered brown paper on the top during baking so it wouldn't form a crust. After putting the cake together with the mincemeat in between the layers, she would drizzle "raisin wine" on it. Which is simply sherry in which raisins (or other dried fruits) have been soaking for some time.

She would then wrap it tightly in muslin with more of the liquid drizzled over it and then in "tin" foil. However she would store it in the ice box, usually hidden behind the vegetables to keep the boys out of it

The mincemeat mixture is good in dressing or stuffing for fowl or pork. It is also good in fried pies or little tarts. I also seem to remember that Meemaw made a side dish with this mincemeat and chestnuts.

Since I didn't spend as much time at their house as I did with my other grandparents, my memories are not as sharp.

Ingredients:

Pork Mincemeat 1 1/2 pounds (prepare at least a week ahead)

See below for recipe.

currants or sultanas 15 oz

chopped pecans 2 cups

vanilla 1 Tablespoon

rum or brandy 1/4 cup (or a mixture of the two)

butter melted 1/2 cup

brown sugar 2 cups

eggs, separated 3 extra large

baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons

water 1/4 cup

cake or pastry flour 3 cups

1. Preheat oven to 275°. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan (can use bundt pan)

2. in a large bowl, combine mincemeat, currants or sultanas, nuts, vanilla and liquor - set aside

3. In a large mixer bowl, combine butter, sugar and egg yolks: beat well. Combine baking soda and water, add to mixture.

4. Sift flour over mincemeat mixture, stir to mix well.

Combine contents of both bowls; mix well. (Batter will be stiff)

5. In small bowl of mixer, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into batter.

6. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 275° for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until done. (Cake will pull away from sides of pan)

7. cool slightly, remove from pan. Cool completely and wrap to store.

(Wrap in cheesecloth - *spritz with rum, brandy, flavored brandy or flavored liquor - then wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil) Place in cake tin.

Cake keeps very well.

* I keep a small spritzer bottle in the kitchen just for liquor - the alcohol will evaporate rapidly from cooked foods and will evaporate in about 3 days when used on baked goods like this cake - for people like me who have an allergy to alcohol.

This method uses much less alcohol than pouring it on the cake and there is less chance of having soggy lumps saturated with liquor.

There is a commercial rum and brandy mix that is usually only available during the holidays. With the addition of vanilla - about 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of the liquor, this gives a very nice flavor to this type of cake.

Cherry Heering or Peter Heering the cherry liquer is also an excellent flavoring for fruit cakes.

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MeeMaw's Pork Mincemeat

1 pound lean cooked pork cut into strips

1/3 pound pork fat cut into strips

1 pound dried apples cut into pieces

1 pound Sultanas or golden raisins

1 pound mixed peel

1/2 pound citron

1/2 pound dried pineapple

1/2 pound blanched almonds

zest and juice of one large orange

zest and juice of two lemons

zest and juice of one grapefruit

1 teaspoon cinnamon, freshly ground

1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground

1 teaspoon allspice, freshly ground

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2/3 cup sweet sherry

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 cup rum

Gather the first 8 ingredients on a tray or platter.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Using a food grinder with the coarsest blade, alternate ingredients as you put them through the grinder so they are combined in a Dutch oven or roasting pan large enough to hold everything.

After grinding, mix well with your hands.

Add the next 8 ingredients, cover tightly and cook for 2 hours.

Remove from oven.

Place a metal colander in a large pan, line with cheesecloth and spoon the mixture into the colander.

Stir gently, turning the mixture over to drain away most of the liquid fat.

Return the mixture to the cooking pot.

Add the sherry, brandy and rum, stir well.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Ladle into sterilized jars, cover tightly and store in a cool place for one week prior to use.

Once opened, store in refrigerator.

( RG1812 )