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Preserve

Mince Meat

A preserved meat mixture of beef, fruits, spices, and wine for pies.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 18 ingredients
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Why it works: Nutmeg and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,686 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Mince Meat

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the beef

  1. Simmer the beef gently until tender.

  2. Let the beef cool completely.

  3. Chop the beef finely.

Prepare the fruit and suet

  1. Stone the raisins.

  2. Shred the citron.

  3. Pare, core, and chop the apples.

  4. Chop the suet finely.

Combine and store

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together.

  2. Add the juice and rind of the oranges and lemons.

  3. Pack the mixture into a stone jar.

  4. Pour the wine and brandy over the mixture.

  5. Cover tightly and keep cool.

  6. Keep all winter.

  7. When ready to use for pies, thin with cider or wine.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Nutmeg + clovetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together8,686 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Lemon + nutmegtop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together11,318 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  3. Raisin + nutmegtop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,377 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).

  4. Apple + clovetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,774 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

  5. Raisin + clovetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,070 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Beef
Provides the meaty body and substance that gives mincemeat its traditional texture.
Beef suet
Adds richness and a moist, tender texture as it melts into the filling.
Sugar
Sweetens the mixture and helps preserve it during long storage.
Apples
Contribute moisture, body, and a tart freshness to the filling.
Sherry or currant wine
Adds acidity and aroma, and helps preserve the mixture.
Brandy
Adds aroma and helps preserve the mixture during long storage.

The step that matters

Pack the mixture into a stone jar and cover tightly. Sealing the jar keeps air out and the alcohol and sugar work together to preserve the mincemeat, so it can be kept cool and stored through winter.

Swap the currant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, raisin, lemon, apple, sugar, nutmeg, clove):

  1. Figfits better
  2. Orangefits better
  3. Quincefits better
  4. Currantthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, raisin, lemon, apple, sugar, nutmeg, clove. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

More mince meat recipes

Pie Filling 11Pie 10with Apples 9Preserved 8Apple 7Mock 7 See all 183 →

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