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Dessert

Mince Meat

A preserved mixture of beef, apples, raisins, currants, citron, sugar, spices, and cider for use in mince pies.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Nutmeg and cinnamon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Mince Meat

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.

Cook

  1. Transfer the mixture to a preserving kettle and cook over low heat until the apples are soft and the mixture has a rich taste.

  2. If desired sweetness is not achieved, add more sugar.

Store and use

  1. Pack the mixture tightly into jars and store in a cool place for winter use.

  2. Use as needed to make mince pies.

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 + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together11,917 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Raisin + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,390 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

  3. Apple + cinnamontop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,598 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

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

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

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

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

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

What each ingredient does

Tender beef
Provides the meaty body and savoury richness that defines traditional mincemeat.
Apples
Add moisture, tartness and pectin that help the filling soften and hold together as it cooks.
Leaf suet
Adds fat that gives a moist, rich texture and carries the spice flavours.
Raisins
Contribute concentrated sweetness and chewy texture.
Brown sugar
Adds sweetness and depth, and helps preserve the mixture.
Boiled cider
Adds acidity and concentrated sweetness, and loosens the mixture so it spreads easily.

The step that matters

Cooking over low heat until the apples are soft. Cooking gently lets the apples break down and the flavours meld without scorching the sugars and fats on the bottom of the kettle. Stirring prevents sticking and uneven texture.

Swap the currant

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

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

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, apple, raisin, sugar, lemon, nutmeg, cinnamon. 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.

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