Another Way to Make Mince Pies

Ingredients

• 1 neat's tongue
• ½ cup coarse sea salt (formerly 'bay salt')
• 2 pounds fresh beef suet from the sirloin, minced
• 2 pounds bloom raisins, stoned and chopped
• 2 pounds currants, cleaned
• ½ ounce mace, pounded and sifted
• ¼ ounce cloves, pounded and sifted
• 1 large nutmeg, grated
• 1½ pounds good brown sugar
• 5 finely-minced apples
• 1 large lemon, grated rind and juice
• 1½ cups brandy
• bits of citron
• preserved orange-peel
• 3 or 4 whole green lemons, preserved in brown sugar, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Cut the root off the neat's tongue and rub it well with salt. Let it lie for four days.

2. Wash the tongue perfectly clean and boil it until tender. Skin it and chop it very finely when cold.

3. Mince the beef suet as small as possible.

4. Mix the minced tongue, beef suet, raisins, currants, mace, cloves, nutmeg, and brown sugar thoroughly.

5. Pack the mixture in jars.

6. To make twelve small mince pies, use the packed mixture, add the minced apples, lemon rind and juice, and brandy.

7. Add a few bits of citron and preserved orange-peel to each pie.

8. Optionally, add thin slices of preserved green lemons.