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Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

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Howie Hart

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Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Howie Hart » Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:51 am

I've been planning this year's Thanksgiving dinner for a couple of years. My youngest son, Pete, gets out of the Army this Monday and should be home by next weekend (driving from WA). This will be the first holiday all my boys will be civilians since 2003 and we can all have great meal together. My brother and SIL will be coming in from Maine and are bringing lobsters with them (I bought some Vouvray, but I'm sure some bubbly will be poured also). I froze a few dozen ears of Silver Queen corn on the cob over the Summer (thanks Jenise for reminding me). We'll be roasting a turkey and smoking a turkey breast and the usual accompaniments (home made Steuben Rosé here). I have fresh pumpkins to make pies and on another website (http://www.winepress.us/forums/index.php?showtopic=30965) the following recipe was posted:
MINCEMEAT - Perseverance Pie
(real mincemeat pie recipe!)
Filling:
2 lbs. lean beef in 2 inch or smaller chunks (or ground beef)
1 lb. suet
4 cups currants or raisins or half and half
2 cups chopped citron
6 cups unpeeled, chopped cooking apples (about 6)
8 cups sugar
1 pint molasses
1 pint cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon ground cloves
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground nutmeg
Salt to taste
Generous 1/2 cup Grant's 8 Scotch (after all it was their ad I saw in the NY Times magazine section over 35 years ago.)
Instructions:
Cook beef in salted water until tender. Remove from bones and grind in food chopper (or cheat as I do and use ground beef). Grind suet and citron. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Place in large baking dish in roaster containing 2 inches of water. Bake in very slow oven, 200 degrees (or use same setting on electric roaster) for 4 hours (or until apples are tender). Stir often. Taste the Scotch. After mixture has cooled to completion, add Grant's 8 Scotch. Mixture will be quite dark in color. Place in crocks when cool and refrigerate for about 3 weeks. Makes enough for about five 9 inch pies.

When ready for Perseverance Pie, place filling in unbaked pie shell. Top filling with latticework. Bake at about 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until crust is golden.

To serve flambé, ignite 1/4 cup warmed Grant's 8 Scotch in long-handled container and pour over pie.

Whiskey Butter Topping:
Cream together:
1 stick sweet butter
1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
2 Tablespoons Grant's 8 Scotch

After the flame has died, decorate pie with whiskey butter run through a cake decorator. Or forget the cake decorator and give each pie a generous gob.

I have several dessert wines to choose from. I'm so excited! :D
Chico - Hey! This Bottle is empty!
Groucho - That's because it's dry Champagne.
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Dave R » Fri Nov 14, 2008 11:00 am

Howie Hart wrote:My youngest son, Pete, gets out of the Army this Monday and should be home by next weekend (driving from WA). This will be the first holiday all my boys will be civilians since 2003 and we can all have great meal together.


Outstanding! I am very happy for you and your family, Howie. That's the spirit of Thanksgiving right there.
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Carrie L. » Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:29 pm

Howie, I'm with Dave. Being together with family and friends and expressing thanks for same is what it's all about. I know you must be so proud of your boys. Your menu sounds great and the lobster will make it extra special!

I've been starting my planning too. Have been perusing all the magazines to see if any new recipes jump out at me. The anticipation of it is what's fun for me.

Btw, I've never had mincemeat pie. Not sure if I would like it or not. I kinda wish someone I knew someone who would make it so I could try a bite. My Dad always tells the story about when he was dating my Mom and her Mom made mincemeat pie. He was trying to win over my grandmother, so he went overboard complimenting her on the pie, despite the fact that he could hardly get it past his lips. Since then, she always made the pie special for my Dad, because he loved it so much. :mrgreen:
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Deb Harmon » Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:00 pm

Howie, that's wonderful that all your boys will be with you this year! I'm thankful to them for their courageous service and for all they have done and do to preserve our freedom. When my own family gathers around the holiday table this year, I will share with them the story of your family. Our families being together and all those who have served this nation - that is the real meaning of Thanksgiving.
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Howie Hart » Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:59 pm

Carrie L. wrote:...Btw, I've never had mincemeat pie. Not sure if I would like it or not. I kinda wish someone I knew someone who would make it so I could try a bite...
I don't know why so many folks almost seem afraid to try it. You can't really taste the meat - it seems more of a mouthfeel thing. It's a lot like apple pie, but with raisins and a lot of spices, and the color is much darker. It's one of my favorite pies - right up there with blueberry, peach and pecan.
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by David Creighton » Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:08 pm

i've done a lot of research on mince pie. a couple of things seem odd here. one is how little alcohol is involved. for about the same size recipe i would use 2 cups spirits(NOT scotch; but rather brandy or dark rum) and an additional 2 cups madeira. made this way, it will last nearly forever. most recipes call for mixed candied fruit not just citron. i'd use more spices - adding allspice, cardamon and mace. the vinegar is a fairly common variant that i've never used. you can also consider other meats: venison, duck, even organ meats(then called humble pie)
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by ChefJCarey » Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:12 pm

Silver Queen corn


Oh, I miss this stuff. I used to grow in in California.
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Redwinger » Fri Nov 14, 2008 6:27 pm

Howie Hart wrote:I don't know why so many folks almost seem afraid to try it. You can't really taste the meat - it seems more of a mouthfeel thing. It's a lot like apple pie, but with raisins and a lot of spices, and the color is much darker. It's one of my favorite pies - right up there with blueberry, peach and pecan.


Howie-FWIW, I love mincemeat pie, but NJ apparently was subjected to a bad MM pie in childhood and refuses to touch the stuff. What's worse, she won't make any for me either. <whimper> <sniffle>
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Stuart Yaniger » Fri Nov 14, 2008 7:10 pm

Low key Thanksgiving this year. I'll be in Santa Fe, loading a truck. Maybe we'll have time for a pizza.
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Karen/NoCA » Fri Nov 14, 2008 8:37 pm

We have our traditional Thanksgiving every year. Our kids won't let me change a thing and I won't let them change a thing. Our youngest (37) still has to make a hole in his pile of mashed potatoes, fill it with gravy and then smooth potatoes over the top. He then has to poke a hole in the side and let the gravy drizzle out. Just one of the silly things that we do, it is all left over from when they were kids. We love our day. The dressing is the only food I play around with because I have never found a "WOW" recipe, either created or followed. The one we have kept the longest is a zucchini based dressing that I make ahead and warm in the slow-cooker. In fact, our youngest called me two weeks ago and said, "Mom, are you going to do the traditional dinner? I hope you are not going to do another fancy French dinner again?" Ha! One year I surprised everyone with a multi-course French dinner, with the menu written in French at each course. It was wonderful, but I have never heard the end of that one.

No mincemeat here, Mother used to make it every year......no, no....
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Howie Hart

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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Howie Hart » Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:47 pm

David Creighton wrote:i've done a lot of research on mince pie. a couple of things seem odd here. one is how little alcohol is involved. for about the same size recipe i would use 2 cups spirits(NOT scotch; but rather brandy or dark rum) and an additional 2 cups madeira. made this way, it will last nearly forever. most recipes call for mixed candied fruit not just citron. i'd use more spices - adding allspice, cardamon and mace. the vinegar is a fairly common variant that i've never used. you can also consider other meats: venison, duck, even organ meats(then called humble pie)
I actually have at least 3 other recipes that are all different and they call for brandy or rum. I liked the idea of the recipe posted because of one essential step: "Taste the Scotch" :wink:
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by David M. Bueker » Fri Nov 14, 2008 10:51 pm

We're talking turkey matches in Wine Focus right now. Stop by...here
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Howie Hart » Fri Nov 14, 2008 11:01 pm

David M. Bueker wrote:We're talking turkey matches in Wine Focus right now. Stop by...here
Yeah, but that's all about Riesling. My Thanksgiving wine of choice and tradition is Steuben Rose - juicey acid, off-dry, spicy and a bit of grapey foxiness. Besides, how can you argue against an American grape?
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Re: Planning Thanksgiving Yet? (Mincemeat pie recipe included)

by Dave R » Sat Nov 15, 2008 12:45 am

David Creighton wrote:a couple of things seem odd here. one is how little alcohol is involved. for about the same size recipe i would use 2 cups spirits(NOT scotch; but rather brandy or dark rum) and an additional 2 cups madeira.


I can just hear Emeril saying, "BOOM, ANOTHER NOTCH!" :mrgreen:
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