Never knew there was real meat in mincemeat did you? There 's ground beef, raisins, apples, brandy, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lots and lots of sugar. This recipe yields 8 pints of filling and freezes well.
INGREDIENTS (for 3 servings):
- 3 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
- 12 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced
- 6 cups raisins
- 1 cup brandy
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
- 3 1/2 cups white sugar
PREPARATION:
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef thoroughly. Being sure not to over-brown it.
Place chopped apples and the cooked ground beef in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is made up of pea sized chunks.
In a non-reactive skillet combine the apple and ground beef mixture with the raisins, brandy, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground nutmeg and the white sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Cool filling to lukewarm and pour into freezer bags (2 cups per bag). Freeze filling until needed. One baggie will fill one 8 inch double crust pie. Thaw filling before using.
Baking pie is a rather straightforward technique, but a few tips can only help to make your pies come out looking and tasting perfect!