Making Mincemeat

Preserving meat by steeping it in alcohol has been practised since the fifteenth century. One recipe calls for “a hare, a pheasant, two partridges, two pigeons and conies [rabbits] strongly spiced and cooked”. But not until the seventeenth century did the traditional Christmas fruit preserve with raisins, sugar and citrus peel begin to evolve. Nowadays many mincemeat recipes use only suet (see Animal fats) or even no meat at all, but the real product should contain meat. Beef tongue, brisket or rump are traditional and survive as ingredients particularly in many American recipes for mincemeat. The meat and other ingredients mature agreeably without spoiling with the addition of a hearty dose of alcohol, and the sugar also acts as a preservative.