mincemeat strudel/roulade?

Authentic strudel dough is just flour, water, salt, and very small amount of oil. There is no leavening. It is mostly a technique driven product. After rolling and stretching the dough, bread crumbs are spread on the dough, filling spread on the crumbs, and then more crumbs sprinkled over the filling. The strudel is then wrapped and rolled.

If you don't want to make strudel dough, you can use prepared phyllo dough. There is also prepared mincemeat available. To make this in an authentic way would be a big undertaking. It is something that I have done just for the experience but I wouldn't do it on a regular basis.

Here is a page that discusses strudel:

you want a good reference for making strudel, take a look at "The Pie andPastry Bible" by Rose Levy Beranbaum. She also has instruction forsubstituting commercial phyllo dough for strudel dough. Beranbaum highlyrecommends "Vintage Mincemeat" made by the Pastillion (or Pastilion) companyin Wisconsin. I can't find a source for this on the internet but someonemay have a source or another recommendation. Here is a link to some recipesif you want to make it yourself.http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&q=+mincemeat+recipe

We used to make something like this, but it was more of a tortiere. Regular pastry, and a meat filling. I sure there are lots of tortiere recipes around. Made long and skinny, slashed, served with sour cream.

She says that Postilion's mincemeat is available from La Cuisine, but I don't see it on their site.

I did a web search and found that reference. When I clicked on the link, the page wasn't available. I went to their site and it is nowhere to be found. I can't find a website for the company either. If I read the google search right, they stuff was about $20 for an 18 oz. jar. It should be incredible!

"Vox Humana" wrote in news:Sa8wd.78589$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.columbus.rr.com:

Incredible mincemeat is incredibly easy to make, and while not cheap, is nowhere near $20 a jar. For the holidays I have used Delia Smith's recipe for Christmas Mincemeat, and a recipe shared by a poster, June Fawthrop, on uk.food+drink.misc. Both are excellent.

I might give that a look. I haven't had any mincemeat that I would say was worth trying again and always wondered if I hadn't just been the victim of substandard commercial pie filling.

June Fawthrop's does look delicious! What have you used for the "4 tsp mixed spice"?

Dave

Dave Bell wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@shell2.bayarea.net:

British "mixed spice" is a fairly classic combination, but commercial preparations put their own signature on it with varying quantities and, occasionally, different ingredients.

After considerable research, the following combination was what I worked out. I used in in the mincemeat, of course, and also used it in my pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. We really liked it. I've made a moderate quantity to keep on hand since it's a versatile blend.

If you have whole spices of any of the following, put them in a spice mill along with those that are pre-ground, and grind all to a fine powder. Even if all your spices are pre-ground, I believe there's some benefit in putting them all in the spice mill to insure a perfect blending.

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground mace 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teasopon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground coriander

I found a few formulations that also included either or both of caraway seed and black peppercorns. Because mixed spice is used in such a large variety of foods, I concluded that those weren't best suited for my purpose.

HTH

"Vox Humana" wrote in news:Vxiwd.78643$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.columbus.rr.com:

I would have to agree. Most commercial mincemeat, at least that commonly available in the US, is not worth a second look. Even the least expensive brands are around $8 for a jar that isn't adequate to fill a decent pie.

Do give one of the recipes a try...you'll be glad you did.

BTW, you may already know this, but more modern recipes including the two I referenced do not actually contain meat, but do contain suet which is essential. Shredded suet is next to impossible to find in US shops, but most any butcher will obtain it and put it through the grinder for you. I bought several pounds and put the remainder in the freezer. I plan on using it to try some other British fare like Spotted Dick, Suet Pudding, etc.

One last thing... June makes batches of mincemeat throughout the year, but insists that it's best to use after aging for some length of time. Many folks make it nearly a year ahead for the holidays.

Shredded suet is next to impossible to find in US shops, but

I can get suet in the meat department of the supermarket. Could just shred it in the food processor?

"Vox Humana" wrote in news:Qiqwd.78886$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.columbus.rr.com:

Yes. Make sure it is very cold when shredding it. In Delia's recipe, the whole mixture is heated at a very low temperature for several hours, during which time the shredded suet melts completely. As the mincemeat mixture is cooling, it is stirred periodically to insure that all ingredients end up well-coated with the melted suet as it solidifies. According to Delia this gives it a greater shelf life. The suet melts once again when baked in a pie. In June's recipe there is no pre-cooking of the mincemeat. It is simply put up in jars. Since we typically have a warmer climate than most of the UK, I would recommend keeping the jarred mincemeat in the refrigerator unless you prefer to process it, although in the UK it is typically just put up in the pantry as is.

I think I have found Delia's recipe but a google groups search does not turn up the Fawthrop recipe. If you have it, would you mind posting it?

I'll bet there are darned few people who grew up as I did in N.E. Oklahoma, and I'm only 63. A farm on a gravel road, 20 miles to the nearest grocery, no electricity, wood cooking stove, kerosene lamps, well water, a working smoke house, hunting that was not considered a sport but subsistence, fresh from the udder milk, butter from a churn. Every fall our family butchered a cow and a pig. The smoke house was tended for weeks with hickory. I distinctly remember my mother making mincemeat, the meat coming from the cow's head. Yeah, I wasn't impressed at the time. Wow, talk about being anachronism!

Thanks, Raj

I located it, but don't have a link to it handy. It was posted by Dave Fawthrop on November 15th this year, at 15:46 (UT), if I remember the time correctly. Date is certain, though...

Dave

"Raj V" wrote in news:t2rwd.53275$ snipped-for-privacy@fe2.texas.rr.com:

Well, your age is between mine and my dad's, but he grew up under precisely the same details as you describe, and I witnessed them as a very young child. The only difference was that they didn't hunt for meat very often. They butchered their own animals and smoked their own meat, but they also ate a lot of chickens raised on their farm. I also remember the iceman delivering blocks of ice for the icebox and the milkhouse.

From June Fawthrop...

Does anyone have an older, meat based, mincemeat recipe as practiced in Scotland instead of these fruit based ones? After all, that is the real mincemeat that I thought one should be aiming at.

RsH

======================================================= or Copyright retained. My opinions - no one else's... If this is illegal where you are, do not read it!

Mince Meat For Pies, Settlement Cook Book, 24th Edition, 1941

3 lbs meat, chopped

1 1/2 lbs beef suet, chopped

6 lbs apples, chopped

3 lbs raisins, seeded (I suppose that means without seeds)

2 lbs currants

L lbs citron, chopped fine

1/2 rind of lemon and orange

l oz cinnamon, ground

1 nutmeg, grated

1/2 oz cloves

3 lbs ground sugar

1 quart boiled cider

1 quart molasses

Salt to taste

Cook all together for 2 hours and seal in glass jars.

Here is another one from the same book.

Mince Meat For Pies

2 1/2 lbs. fresh boiled tongue, skinned and chopped fine

or

2 1/2 lbs. beef rump, chopped

2 lbs sugar

1 orange peel, cut fine

1 nutmeg

2 lbs raisins

1/2 lb suet

1/2 lb currants

l lb citron, cut fine

1/8 oz cloves, mace

1/2 oz cinnamon

1 cup cider

1 quart sour wine

1 cup brandy

Mix all dry ingredients. Put into a preserving kettle with cider and cook slowly about 2 hours; add wine and brandy; put away in glass jars.

When ready to bake pies, add chopped apples and pecan nut meats.