Nowt wrong with real mincemeat:
A recipe from the good old days, when mincemeat was what it said it was, a highly spiced preserve containing real meat. Make it at least a week, ideally a month, before you use it. Mince pies made with this are less sweet than the usual fare, and have more body and substance.
Makes 6 500g jars
Preparation time: 40 minutes, plus maturing
Ingredients
500g coarsely minced braising or chuck steak
250g beef suet
250g currants
250g raisins
250g tart eating apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
65g preserved ginger in syrup, plus 2 tbsp of the syrup
65g chopped mixed peel
125g soft brown sugar
250g ground almonds
½ lemon, juiced and zest grated
½ orange, juiced and zest grated
¼ tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 tsp mixed spice
125ml brandy
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, and mix thoroughly, ideally with your hands. Put in sterilised jars and seal. Keep for up to a month before using. Double the amount of brandy, and it will keep for a year.
Make mince pies using a sweet pastry recipe, or a bought pastry, and serve piping hot with brandy butter, or calvados custard.