MINCED MEAT.
515. Five pounds of beef or tongue,
Two pounds of suet,
Seven pounds of sugar,
Seven pounds of apples,
Three pounds of raisins,
Three pounds of currants,
Three nutmegs,
Two ounces of cinnamon,
A dessert spoonful of ground allspice,
One small tea spoonful of ground mace,
The juice of two lemons and the grated rind of one,
Moisten it with equal portions of wine and cider,
Brandy to the taste.
Boil the meat in water which has been salted in the proportion of one tea spoonful of salt to every quart of water. When it is tender stand it away to get perfectly cold before it is chopped. Wash, pick and dry your currants, prepare the spices, and seed the raisins. Pare and core the apples, chop them fine, chop the meat very fine, add the fruit, sugar and spice, lemon-juice, and grated lemon rind, (also the brandy and wine.) Mix the whole thoroughly; it will be fit for use on the following day. If you wish to keep your minced meat for several weeks, chop the meat and add the currants, raisins, sugar and spice, but leave out the apples, lemon, wine and cider; mix the other ingredients and merely moisten it with brandy; pack the mixture tightly in a stone jar and cover it close.
When you wish to make it into pies, take out some of the meat, chop your apples, and mix with it in the proportions given above. Moisten with cider, and add wine and brandy to your taste.