My Own Mincemeat Pie Filling

I have used lots of different mincemeat recipes, and created my own, using the most delicious and inexpensive combinations (but really, this recipe is very traditional, nevertheless). You may devise whatever combinations are convenient and inexpensive for you. Throw in whatever’s in season, also leftovers you’ve got (cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving, oatmeal from breakfast, old bread, etc.) Mincemeat will take anything, it seems, and still taste just exactly the same — that is, exquisite! So for Heaven’s sake make whatever changes are thrifty for you, but you may keep the quantities about the same.

Original recipe makes 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup ground suet (white beef fat)
4 apples – peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup brandy
3/4 cup raisins, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried mixed fruit
1/2 cup candied mixed fruit peel, chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

PREP

30 mins
COOK

1 hr 10 mins
READY IN

1 hr 40 mins

Directions

Place the ground beef into a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir until the beef is well browned, about 10 minutes, breaking it up into small crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess fat.
In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat, mix the cooked beef, suet, apples, brown sugar, brandy, raisins, walnuts, dried mixed fruit, mixed fruit peel, lemon juice, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Stir the mincemeat until thoroughly combined and the sugar has dissolved, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the flavors have blended and the mincemeat filling is thickened, about 1 hour. Stir occasionally.
Use as mincemeat pie filling.