If you have ever tasted ranch made mincemeat, you will never be satisfied with that stuff sold in jars under the label "Mincemeat". That stuff contains NO meat, and tastes more like artificial preservatives than anything else!

Making mincemeat is a perfect way to use up scraggly bits of venison, or beef, and is usually made in November for Yuletide baking. A large stoneware crock is perfect for aging and storing mincemeat during the cold months, and it can be canned for storage until the next season.

To make real mincemeat, gather together beef neck, venison bones and scraps or any four-footed critter meat that you have brought down.

Remove as much spongy fat as possible and save it for making soap or give it to the dogs.

Hard fat from about the kidneys and loins is called suet and you will usually have to ask the locker plant man to save it for you, (along with the sweetbreads if you have use for them) as the locker generally considers them waste and not part of the butchering deal (some sell these sweetbreads along with the stomach and other parts regular white Americans don't eat, to mexican groceries.) All this to tell you that you will be wanting to have some suet on hand for making mincemeat. Incidentally, "steak and kidney pie" was a customary Yuletide dish in the British Isles as they harvested the suet for mincemeat and suet pudding from around mutton kidneys. Being from ranching stock, any time I mention mutton, it is because of my knowledge, but not experience! Mutton is anathema to beef ranchers!

Boil scraggly meat on bones, scrap meat, neck bones, or other meat bearing bones, with the fat trimmed away, until the meat is quite tender. Skim off scum that rises to the surface.

Cool thoroughly, perhaps overnight. Pick the meat from the bones and grind or chop coarsely.

(Bone meal makes an excellent addition to poultry feed, and can be made by continuing to boil the bones until the bones are soft and can be ground up easily in a food processor. The soft bones are also a calcium rich treat for humans too!)

Peel, core and chop a quarter peck of tart apples for every 2 quarts of chopped meat. (The skins and cores can be saved for the vinegar bottle. A peck is 11 pounds.)

For every 2 quarts of chopped meat, add a half pound of ground suet.

Mix 2 pounds raisins, and 1 pound currants to the meat, apple and suet mixture in a cooking pot.

Pour over 1 cup lemon juice and the grated peel
of the lemons you extracted the juice from. (A baking soda wash will remove the spray from shipping. If you grate directly into the pot you'll save they lemon oils better.)

In another bowl, mix 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 Tablespoon EACH of Salt, ground Cinnamon, ground Ginger, ground Cloves, ground Nutmeg, ground Allspice. Blend. Add 1 pound of Brown Sugar. Dump the contents into the cooking pot.

Stir well.

Pour 2 quarts of cider or grape juice over the mixture, and stir well.

Cook for 2 hours over low heat, taking care to not allow scorching.

Cool. Pack into a large crock and store in a cool place, or can.

Adding a cup of good Brandy makes it more festive. The longer ranch made mincemeat is allowed to ripen, the better it is!

To make mincemeat pies, make two pastry crusts while heating the oven to 400°F. Fill the pie with mincemeat and top it with another crust. Make a slit or two for steam. Bake for 10 minutes then lower the heat to 350°F and continue baking for another 30 minutes or so.


Canning Mincemeat
Pack hot mincemeat into quart jars and process for 30 minutes in a hot water bath; 10 minutes in a canner at 10 pounds pressure, or freeze. Crock mincemeat should be frozen when spring arrives.


This article is copyrighted material, and is not to be used elsewhere without my express permission. Contact me for information. All Rights Reserved Copyright 1-20-2004 Aislinn Morgan