What is mincemeat pie?
The most common use of mincemeat is in a pie, which the English are particularly fond of.
This tart, or rather this pie which is often covered with pastry, can be large and divided into portions, or small individual pies. This is generally eaten at Christmas everywhere in Anglo-Saxon countries, and is also known as mince pie, or mincemeat pie.
What is the origin of mincemeat pie?
The origin of English pies is very old and probably dates back to the Middle Ages. The addition of mincemeat in the form known today could date from the 15th century, but it should not be ruled out that meat-based pies are much older.
They could date back to the Crusades, a period during which the West drew its inspiration largely from the East by bringing back products and know-how. In 1413, Henri V would have ordered a mince pie for his coronation. Henry VIII would also have appreciated the mincemeat pie.
The famous Oliver Cromwell, at war against certain religious practices, would have asked his soldiers to ban among other things the mincemeat pie during the Christmas feast of 1657.
Over time, the filling of mince pies has varied to contain different meats such as lamb, mutton, beef, game birds and offal. The shapes of these pies can vary and some cookbooks show the great variety and inventiveness of pastry chefs.
Nowadays, mincemeat pies are usually savory, and do not contain fruits. They usually include onion, gravy, and sometimes vegetables such as carrots, peas, and potatoes. Mince pies and tarts are however the sweet version, and never contain meat. The recipe presented here is the historical original version of the mincemeat pie.
How to prepare mincemeat pie
The making of a mincemeat pie or several tarts begins with the preparation of the mincemeat for which it is necessary to combine a large number of spices such as cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, mace, cloves to which are added candied lemons and oranges, almonds, raisins, minced meat and tallow (beef fat).
All the ingredients are put together in a saucepan and cooked slowly for two hours. At the end of this cooking, add alcohol and simmer for a few more minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate.
Separately, the pastry dough is prepared by rubbing together a mixture of soft butter, sugar and flour. The consistency should be that of fine breadcrumbs.
Egg yolks and cold water are added to obtain a smooth and homogeneous pastry dough. After resting, the pastry is rolled out thinly, and used to line tart molds or a pie dish.
The lid may vary from version to version. It can be in the form of a tart covered with latticed strips made with a fluted pastry wheel, or covered with dough patterns in the shape of stars or leaves.
In the form of a pie, that is to say with a closed lid, for which two pastry layers are crimped together using water or egg as a glue. In this case, it is best to make a hole in the center of the pie to allow the steam to escape during baking. Without this, the pastry will soak up the moisture and soften.
Once the pie or pies are warm, they may be dredged with icing sugar. The pie can be eaten warm or cold.
What are the variations?
Mincemeat pie is mostly minced meat but other ingredients can be added such as more dried fruit or candied fruit. It may also contain a vegetarian version of mincemeat which is becoming more and more popular.
It should be noted that the presence of meat is almost unnoticeable as it is flavored with such an accumulation of spices and dried fruits.
Without meat, mince pie is a dessert.
Mincemeat Pie
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2½ cups flour , sifted
- 1 cup butter
- ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- 1¼ oz egg yolks (between 1½ and 2 yolks)
- 5 tablespoons cold water
For brushing
- 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk
For the mincemeat
- 1 lb finely chopped beef or lamb steak
- 7 oz beef tallow , grated
- 7 oz raisins
- 7 oz currants
- 3 oz sultanas
- 3 tart apples , finely chopped
- 2¼ cups brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons candied lemon peels
- 2 tablespoons candied orange peels
- 1 oz shelled almonds , finely chopped
- 1 lemon , zest and juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg , freshly grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
To finish
- Icing sugar
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Cookie cutter
Instructions
Dough
- Take the butter out of the refrigerator, cut it into small cubes and leave it at room temperature for 20 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, combine the butter, icing sugar and flour, to form a mixture resembling fine breadcrumbs.
- Using the flat beater, and at medium speed, add the egg yolk and gradually add the water, mixing until a soft dough forms. Then form the dough into a ball.
- On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough to make it smooth.
- Finally, roll the dough into a ball, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
Mincemeat
- Combine all the ingredients except the cognac (or brandy) and rum in a non-stick coated saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours, stirring frequently and especially towards the end to avoid burning.
- If the liquid reduces too soon and the minced meat starts to stick or burn on the bottom, add a little apple juice or water.
- 15 minutes before the end of cooking, add the cognac (or brandy) and rum and mix well.
- Let cool.
Assembly and cooking
- Preheat the oven to 410 F (210°C).
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of about ⅛ inch (2.5-3 mm), and line a 8½ inch (22 cm) diameter pie dish or 3 inch (8-10 cm) diameter tart molds.
- Place the mincemeat in the base of the tart or tartlets.
- Using a cookie cutter or a pastry wheel, cut stars, circles or lattices from the rest of the dough and place them on the mincemeat, leaving a few openings to allow the steam to escape.
- Brush the edges of the pie or tarts, as well as all the dough decoration on top, with the egg yolk / milk mixture.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 F (175°C).
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Finishing
- Sift icing sugar on top.
- Allow to cool a little before consuming.
Sources
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
What’s Cooking America
Walkers Shortbread
Smithsonian
Esther and Morgan are the two foodies behind Renards Gourmets. They are based in Paris where they develop four-handed recipes and culinary photos.
Gavin says
I really love these mincemeat pies! I can eat plenty of these in one seating.