Mincemeat Making

I was both surprised and lucky to find fresh beef suet at a new store I shopped at the other day.  I usually can only get it at a rather obscure out of the way butcher that I truly did not think I could get to this year in time to make mincemeat.  I was never a mincemeat lover when I was younger.  However, once I started making my own, I crossed that bridge and brought a lot of people with me.  And this is in America where most people don't really even know what it is.  Mincemeat = Xmas in my house.  While the mincemeat was cooking yesterday, my husband came into the kitchen with a big smile on his face and said, what am I smelling in here that smells like Xmas?  

This makes 4 quarts which is a lot.  You can cut it in half if you decide to take the leap and try this recipe.  You can make the whole recipe and then make mincemeat pies or tarts for both Thanksgiving and Xmas.  And yes, I have taken the christ out of Xmas; maybe it's because I'm lazy, maybe it's because the nun's lost their minds if you wrote christmas using an X and leaving christ out.  Or maybe it's because I'm not too happy with christians these days.  Whatever.

Everything for this recipe should be cut in uniform sized pieces.  Mince 8 ounces of beef suet, 6 Granny Smith apples cut into small cubes, the zest of 2 lemons and 3 oranges, 2 cups of raisins, 1 cup of citron and 2 cups of apple cider. I put all of the dried fruit through a food processor to get it chopped evenly. Add the juice from the lemons and oranges.

 Add 1 cup of dried cherries and 2 cups of dried cranberries.

Add 2 cups of brown sugar and a box of currants and 2 cups of chopped dates.

Add 2 cups of walnuts or a combination of almond, pecans and walnuts.  You can make up your own version but mine is very traditional.

The spices:

2 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp allspice

1-1/2 tsp ground cloves

1-1/2 tsp mace

1-1/2 tsp nutmeg

1-1/2 tsp salt

Add these to the mix.

Add 2 cups of port.  I don't like boozy mincemeat but if you do you can add less port and add some brandy and/or cognac.  I think port give it the best flavor.
 

Mix everything together thoroughly and place it in a 225 degree oven for 5 hours.  Use a heavy pot with a lid and stir it occasionally.  Remove the lid for the last hour

Here it is after 2 hours.

 Here it is after 5.

And here it is the next day after it has been refrigerated.  This can be made months in advance.  I've made it as early as August.  The flavor develops as it sits in the fridge.  I freeze leftovers after I make the tarts.

A warm mincemeat tart topped with melted hard sauce is like the star on top of the tree.  Fa la la la la.....