Weigh two pounds of the chopped meat; put to it two pounds of suet free from strings or skin, and chopped fine; add two pounds of currants, picked, washed, and dried; four pounds of peeled and chopped rich tart apples, with the juice of two lemons, and the chopped peel of one; a pint of sweet wine, and one large nutmeg grated, or teaspoonful of ground mace; three pounds and a half of sugar, quarter of an ounce of ground cloves, or allspice, and the same of cinnamon, and a large tablespoonful of salt. Mix the whole well together, put it in a stone pot, or jar, cover it close, and set it in a cool place for use. Mix it well together again before using.
TO FINISH THE PIE MIXTURE
Pare, core, and chop, not very fine, some tart juicy apples; put to them one-third as much of the prepared meat; stone one pound of raisins, and cut a quarter of a citron in small bits; add a gill of brandy, and enough sweet cider to make the whole quite wet. A peck of apples, pared and chopped, with a quart bowl of the prepared meat, and the raisins, citron, and cider, as above-mentioned, with a large teacupful of brown sugar, is enough to make six or seven pies the size of a dinner plate. A teacupful of fine chopped suet may be added if liked, or a tablespoonful of butter to each pie, as it is to be baked.
MINCE PIE MEAT
Take a nice tender piece of beef which is free from gristle, skin or strings. The meat is used for mincemeat, also the sirloin, the heart, head and skirts; the tongue and sirloin are best. Put the meat in hot water, enough to cover it; boil it gently until turning a fork in it will break it; set it to become cold, then take out all the bone and gristle parts. If the tongue is used peel off the skin, chop it very fine. To this meat, apples, raisins and spices are added, for which see recipe mince pie mixture.
MINCE PIE. HOW TO FILL AND BAKE
Line a pie dish with a nice puff paste, rolled to twice the thickness of a dollar piece. Put in the pie mixture half an inch deep, and spread it to within a finger width of the edge; roll out a puff paste crust, turn a plate the size of the one on which the pie is made on to it, and with a knife cut the paste around the edge of the plate; then take the plate off, make three small incisions with the end of the knife on each side of the middle, take it carefully up and cover the pie with it, press it lightly with the finger against the bottom crust, put it in a quick oven for three-quarters of an hour. The top may be brushed over with the yolk of an egg beaten with a little milk. Pies made in this way should be served warm.
MINCE MEAT FOR PIES
Two pounds of beef chopped fine, one peck of apples, two pounds of raisins, two pounds of currants, one pound of citron, one-half pound of suet, three pounds of sugar; powdered cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, a spoonful each. Moisten with a bottle of champagne cider. When you bake the pies, place a spoonful of butter on each pie; but do not put butter in the jar with the meat.
MINCE MEAT, FOR CHRISTMAS PIES