Ye olde mincemeat pies
‘Once upon a time, “meat” referred to food generally, not just animal flesh, and “mincemeat” was a mixture of suet, meat, dried fruit, distilled spirits and spices. Those rich, spicy flavours we associate with the mince pies we tuck into at Christmas arrived in the 13th century with crusaders returning from the Middle East and bringing new spices and recipes. In more recent history, mincemeat fell out of favour until, in Victorian-era Britain, someone decided it was fashionable again and revived the tradition of eating mincemeat pies at Christmas. This was “special occasion” food containing all the rich, extravagant ingredients that you couldn’t afford on a regular basis, including meat, and it would have been the height of luxury at the time. Still is, we reckon. Over time, the mincemeat pie was adapted and sweetened and became more like a dessert and finally forgot its namesake ingredient altogether. We’ve put the meat back in.
A real mincemeat pie, like beef and wine, needs to be aged to deepen the flavours and allow the preservative action of the alcohol, which gradually changes the overall texture of the mixture by breaking down the meat proteins. Apparently, preserved mincemeat may be stored for up to 10 years. Three to four weeks is enough for us.
Start this recipe at least a month before you intend to eat your mincemeat pies. You can make the pastry ahead and freeze it or make it on the day you’re planning to cook your pies.’
Feather and Bone, Nonie Dwyer and Brent Templeton
Feeds: Makes around 20 pies | Mincemeat preparation time: 1 hr
Mincemeat ageing time: 3–4 weeks | Pastry preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes | Special equipment: 20 small pie tins or pastry bases and cookie cutter shapes if you want to add a decoration to the top of your pies
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
1 Granny Smith apple
100 g (3½ oz) mixed peel
100 g (3½ oz) raisins, coarsely chopped to the same size as the mixed peel
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) currants
50 g (1¾ oz/1/3 cup) cranberries, coarsely chopped to the same size as the mixed peel
50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) glacé ginger, coarsely chopped to the same size as the mixed peel
50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup firmly packed) rapadura (or brown) sugar
50 g (1¾ oz/½ cup) almond meal
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
100 g (3¾ oz) suet (order from your butcher)
200 g (7 oz) minced beef 100 ml (3½ fl oz) port or brandy
Butter, for greasing
Pastry
350 g (12 oz) butter, cut into 2–3 cm (¾–¼ in) dice, plus extra for greasing
500 g (1 lb 2 oz/31/3 cups) plain (all- purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
75 g (2¾ oz/1/3 cup firmly packed) rapadura (or brown) sugar
1 egg
Milk, for brushing
Place citrus juice and zest in a bowl. Peel apple (reserve peel) and grate flesh into the juice, making sure it gets coated in juice to stop it from browning. Add mixed peel, raisins, currants, cranberries and ginger, toss to coat, then add sugar, almond meal, spices, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
Melt suet in a frying pan over medium heat, then add mince. Cook slowly, stirring constantly to break up the meat and prevent clumping, for10–15 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to very low, add fruit mixture, stir to combine and cook, covered and stirring regularly, for 30–40 minutes until fruit is soft and plump and everything is well combined.
Cool to room temperature, then add port or brandy and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3–4 weeks to let the flavours develop, much like a Christmas fruitcake. The meat will be preserved by the sugar and alcohol.
To make the pastry, on a clean work surface, chop butter through the flour and sugar with a pastry card (or blitz in a food processor) until it resembles small pebbles. Whisk egg with 75 ml (2½ fl oz) water. Pour onto flour mix and chop through by hand until it just comes together into a rough dough. Knead it a little to bring it together if necessary. Shape into a block, wrap in plastic wrap and chill.
Remove pastry from fridge and allow it to become pliable but not soft. Roll pastry out on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm (⅛ in) thick. Cut into rounds large enough to line your pie tins — these are your pastry bases and tops. Use a decorative pastry cutter to cut out any decorative shapes from the tops.
Grease pie tins with butter, line them with pastry bases, then fill them generously with the pie filling. Brush the pastry tops and decorations with a little milk and press them onto the pies, using the decorative pieces for some, and the cutouts for others. Chill. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F), then bake pies straight from the fridge for 20–25 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.