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English Mincemeat And What To Do With It :-) (yep, finally lol)

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  • English Mincemeat And What To Do With It :-) (yep, finally lol)

    Okay I've been threatening this for a few years and I believe I did post it up on smurf many years ago for an english ex-pat.
    Don't worry It got 'lost' in one of the crashes - jeff don't have this

    Right a little background

    Essentially in england mincepies are the quintessential christmas period food of choice. They are sold in supermarkets by the millions (I'm not exaggerating here). And thousands of tons of the commercial mincemeat is sold in jars.

    This commercial stuff - even the 'luxury' brands - are usually 40% plus sugar, some dried fruit, bugger all booze and has suet.

    My tai-chi teacher is diabetic - so some years back I developed a no-added sugar homemade mincemeat. It's been refined and improved year on year to produce the following recipe, which is hands down the best mincemeat I've ever tasted and I probably eat my own weight in mincepies of one kind or another every year

    Suet is unnecessary, as is any added sugar. I just use fruit, spices and booze.

    So to start with here's the basic recipe.

    Basic recipe

    250gm raisins
    250gm sultanas (golden raisins)
    125 gms currants
    1 large cooking apple or 2 dessert apples - peeled and grated.
    juice and zest of 1 large or 2 small oranges
    2 tsp mixed spice
    good glug of cointreau, vanilla vodka or brandy - or a mix of any 2 of the three.
    The above amount will make about 2lb of mincemeat.

    The production process is essentially the same for small or large amounts.

    These days I usually make up about 15lb at a time:

    This years ingredients. The apples I picked up in the garden :-)
    10 apples, 10 oranges, 4.5 lb raisins, 4.5 lb sultanas (golden raisins) 2.2 lb currants. Approx 10 really heaped tsps of mixed spice, about 1/3 cup vanilla vodka and 1/3 cup orange liquer.




    How to make it - essentially the same no matter what amount you make.


    1) Mix all the dried fruit and mixed spice together in a large bowl.

    I use a 20lb sausage meat mixer.



    2) Peel and grate your apples and mix with your dried fruit.

    I use an apple processor and a food processor to grate the resultant slices. The right tools makes a pita job simple and quick.



    Attached Files
    Last edited by curious aardvark; 11-12-2013, 01:16 PM.
    Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
    Just call me 'One Grind'




  • #2
    Pretty neat, Alex. Always wondered what was in mincemeat. My Dad is the only one I know who likes those pies. I would love to make one like this for him but may need some help converting the recipe to terms I can understand.
    Becky
    *****

    https://www.facebook.com/jennie.r.smith.77?ref=tn_tnmn

    Weber 22.5" One Touch Gold Kettle - Black
    Weber 22.5" One Touch Gold Kettle - Copper
    1993 Weber 22.5" Master Touch Kettle - Red
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    Multiple Dutch Ovens and other Cast Iron
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    Comment


    • #3
      part 2

      3) Next you need to zest and juice the oranges. If you only have one or 2 oranges this is not an issue.
      Zesting 10 oranges took about half an hour !
      Fortunately I have a decent electric citrus juicer :-)



      4) Add juice and alcohol and mix well.
      The amount of alcohol is pretty much down to personal preference. Both the vanilla vodka and orange liquer were full when i started and I usde approx the same amount of each.



      Right that's the end of day one - didn't I say this was a 2 day process ?

      5) cover the bowl/mixer with clingfilm or other airtight seal and leave overnight.
      The dried fruit will soak up all the liquid and flavours.

      The following day it should look like this:



      Now we come to the clever bit.
      6) take approx half the mixture and either use a grinder (have done it but it's bloody messy) or food processor (best method) to chop the fruit mixture into a thick paste.
      I weighed out 6lb which was close enough to half.



      Attached Files
      Last edited by curious aardvark; 11-12-2013, 01:24 PM.
      Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
      Just call me 'One Grind'



      Comment


      • #4
        Alex, what is in "Mixed Spice"? What kind of spices? I've never seen it here.
        Mark
        sigpic


        "Likes smokey old pool rooms, clear mountain mornins. Little warm puppies, children and girls of the night"?
        Smoked-Meat Certified Sausage Head!

        Comment


        • #5
          Cool CA, I always find mincemeat to sweet but your recipe sounds good.
          sigpic

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          • #6
            Part three

            7) Mix the paste back into the remaining fruit mix. Thoroughly.



            And that's your finished mincemeat.



            Attached Files
            Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
            Just call me 'One Grind'



            Comment


            • #7
              Part four

              How to make mince pies

              Make up shortcrust pastry.
              Following recipe makes about 1lb
              And is sufficient for 3-4 dozen mince pies (I made 3.5 dozen)

              4 oz AP (plain) flour
              4 oz Self raising flour
              4 oz butter
              About 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
              cold water to mix about 3-4 fluid oz

              Mix dry ingredients, cut butter into small pieces into the flour.
              Rub to fine crumbs and sufficient cold water to make stiff paste.
              Knead ONLY until it's a single solid lump. Do not over work. It'll be sticky - just dust with flour and wrap in clingfilm and place in fridge for about an hour.

              Roll out the pastry to about 3 mm 0.12 inches (lmao)
              Ie: roll it pretty thin. You want more filling than pastry :-)

              And then follow the following pics:



              Brush with egg and sprinkle LIGHTLY with sugar - 1 tsp of sugar will do at least a dozen pies.



              Bake in medium oven for 20-30 minutes till tops are light golden brown.





              And eat :-)

              Got to dash now - I'll flesh this out more later for the less baking inclined and answer questions
              Attached Files
              Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
              Just call me 'One Grind'



              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by curious aardvark View Post


                Beautiful job!
                Becky
                *****

                https://www.facebook.com/jennie.r.smith.77?ref=tn_tnmn

                Weber 22.5" One Touch Gold Kettle - Black
                Weber 22.5" One Touch Gold Kettle - Copper
                1993 Weber 22.5" Master Touch Kettle - Red
                Weber 18.5" One Touch Silver Kettle - Budweiser
                Weber Smokey Joe
                Multiple Dutch Ovens and other Cast Iron
                Pink Thermapen
                Purple Thermapen

                Comment


                • #9
                  Sooo can we add bacon crumbles... so it actually has MEAT in the mincemeat? You funny folks over there...
                  In God I trust- All others pay cash...
                  Check out the Mad Hunky and products at https://madhunkymeats.com or https://www.facebook.com/MadHunkyMeats
                  Lang 60D, The Beast, 18 and 22 WSM, Brinkmann Backroads trailer, Weber 22 Kettle, gutted MB burning watts

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Great thread CA
                    sigpic

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Richtee View Post
                      Sooo can we add bacon crumbles... so it actually has MEAT in the mincemeat? You funny folks over there...
                      Originally posted by Fishawn View Post
                      Great thread CA
                      I agree, it is a great thread, although a bit different than our recipes for mincemeat, we use either beef or deer neck, deer neck is preferable but not always available. I think I have my late Gram's recipe, I'll check for it. My wife has her Mimi's recipe and that is the best mincemeat I have ever had, but I know damn well that that one will stay "secret" for some time to come.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Mark R View Post
                        Alex, what is in "Mixed Spice"? What kind of spices? I've never seen it here.
                        I think its allspice. My grandma used to make them, they had a strong allspice taste
                        sigpicSmoke meat, not crack
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                        Pepperoni-Pernil-Spicy snack stix-Ryans crab cakes-Dip for smoked fish-Lox-Beer brittle-Pizza crust-Spinach and artichoke dip-Garlic link-Pizza Links-

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                        • #13
                          Sorry about that - haven't had time to get near my computer for a couple days :-)

                          Originally posted by Mark R View Post
                          Alex, what is in "Mixed Spice"? What kind of spices? I've never seen it here.
                          It's a blend of cinnamon (though often replaced by cassia in commercial blends) nutmeg, ginger, coriander, caraway and a VERY small amount of cloves (allspice is identical to cloves in my mind but again you don't want much. Different brands use different spices and amounts but cinnamon and nutmeg should dominate

                          The following spice blend would do the job nicely.
                          Numbers are volume measurements: tsp, tbs, cups, bowler hats whatever

                          3 cinnamon
                          1 nutmeg
                          1/2 coriander seeds
                          1/4 dried ginger
                          1/8 cloves

                          All above should be either ground to powder or use powdered spices to start with and mix extremely well.

                          Originally posted by Richtee View Post
                          Sooo can we add bacon crumbles... so it actually has MEAT in the mincemeat? You funny folks over there...
                          Yeeesss you can add anything you like. But it won't be the same :-)

                          There are people who add nuts to mincemeat - and there's a special circle of hell reserved for them

                          There are even people who add glacy cherries or apricots, they're looking down on the nut people - but they're still in hell

                          In victorian times mincemeat was a spiced savoury substance - as time went on and dried fruit, spices and oranges got cheaper and more available the meat component got left to one side. Plus without it mincemeat lasts way longer and has zero health and safety issues.

                          Put this in a clean jar and it'll keep for years, the flavours improving all the time. Although I have found that after about 18 months it does start to ferment a little.
                          That really improves the flavour - but could cause the jar to explode

                          Off to the gym - I'll be back this afternoon :-)
                          Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
                          Just call me 'One Grind'



                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by curious aardvark View Post

                            There are people who add nuts to mincemeat - and there's a special circle of hell reserved for them

                            There are even people who add glacy cherries or apricots, they're looking down on the nut people - but they're still in hell
                            Mark
                            sigpic


                            "Likes smokey old pool rooms, clear mountain mornins. Little warm puppies, children and girls of the night"?
                            Smoked-Meat Certified Sausage Head!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Actually I'll pardon the apricot users - but the glace cherry people are definitely going to hell.

                              Right here's use number 2 for mincemeat that I made last night.

                              Pineapple and Mincemeat crumble.


                              ingredients

                              1 pineapple cored and sliced (get one of these if you don't already have one)

                              About 1 lb CA's World's best english mincemeat


                              For the crumble:

                              4 oz AP flour
                              2 oz rolled or porridge oats (depending on how big you like your bits of oats)
                              3 oz butter (if using unsalted butter, add pinch of salt to flour)
                              2 oz brown sugar
                              about 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg.


                              1) core and ring a pineapple then cut the rings into smallish pieces. If you don't have a pineapple corer and slicer - just remove outer husk and cut flesh into about 1/2 inch pieces.



                              2) put pineapple into crumble dish and add mincemeat. Mix and press till firm and level.



                              3) Make crumble.
                              . .1) sift flour into bowl - add oats and nutmeg and mix thoroughly.
                              . .2) add butter and rub between fingers until you get large crumbs and all the butter is incorporated.



                              . .3) add the sugar and quickly rub through. (looks exactly the same as second pic above lol)

                              4) Add crumble to dish and press down gently but firmly.



                              5) bake in centre of a medium oven for 30-40 minutes: until juices bubble up around the edge and the crumble is a light brown.



                              This is in fact how to make ANY fruit crumble :-)
                              In fact if you substitute mango for mincemeat and sprinkle some cinnamon sugar over the fruit - you'll end up with a fabulous fruit crumble

                              Other favourite fruit crumbles: Apple and mincemeat, strawberry and rhubarb, strawberries by themselves, raspberry and mango and pretty much any fruit with pineapple.
                              Attached Files
                              Last edited by curious aardvark; 11-10-2013, 12:37 PM.
                              Made In England - Fine Tuned By The USA
                              Just call me 'One Grind'



                              Comment

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