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Mince Meat in 1812

A spiced meat mixture of suet, beef, apples, molasses, raisins, and spices, simmered for hours for use in pies.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 15 ingredients
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Why it works: Apple and grape match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,659 recipes. Both carry 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells green bell pepper, earthy. The science ↓

Mince Meat in 1812

Ingredients

Directions

The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.

Make the mincemeat

  1. Combine suet, beef, apple cider, apples, molasses, preserved grapes, brown sugar, brandy, raisins, sultana raisins, currants, and citron or lemon peel in a large pot.

  2. Add allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to taste.

  3. Simmer the mixture for 6 hours on low heat until thoroughly cooked.

  4. Transfer to a cool place in an earthen jar.

Bake the pies

  1. Prepare a very short crust for the pies.

  2. For a moister mince meat, add cider to each pie when baking.

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. Apple + grapetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,659 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).

  2. Apple + cidertop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,238 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).

  3. Cider + brandytop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together404 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).

  4. Cider + grapetop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together349 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).

  5. Apple + brandytop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,291 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

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

What each ingredient does

Suet
Adds richness and fat that keeps the mincemeat moist and rounds out its flavor.
Beef
Provides meaty body and texture to the filling.
Apples
Add moisture, tartness, and bulk to the filling.
Molasses
Adds dark sweetness and depth of flavor.
Brown sugar
Adds sweetness and a caramel note that balances the fruit.
Raisins
Contribute concentrated sweetness and chewy texture.

The step that matters

Simmer the mixture for 6 hours on low heat. Long, gentle simmering cooks the meat and softens the fruit while letting flavors blend. Too high a heat can scorch the sugars and molasses on the bottom of the pot, so the mixture needs regular stirring.

Swap the raisin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, apple, cider, molasses, grape, sugar, brandy):

  1. Figfits better
  2. Pearfits better
  3. Apricotfits better
  4. Raisinthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, apple, cider, molasses, grape, sugar, brandy. 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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