Sepharina's Mincemeat

This recipe was given to me by Melinda Price and came from Sepharina Cienfeugos (Grandpa Frank's Mother). The prep time for this recipe is 3-4 days.

Day 1: Prepare and cook the meat

Ingredients:

You will need 2-3 lbs of each meat

1 beef tongue (boil this piece of meat, then peel before grinding)

1 boneless beef roast

1 pork roast

1 haunch of elk or venison

1 leg of lamb

You may also use animal suet. Chop it up and it will help bind the meat mixture together. 

1. Degrease the meat really well. Pull off all of the fat, get rid of any and all of the ligaments, gristle etc. Be sure that this is done carefully. 

2. Boil and peel the tounge

3. Roast the beef and pork roasts, as well as the elk haunch, and leg of lamb. 

4. Grind the meat using a hand grinder, do not use a food processor. You want a coarse grind not a pate. 

Day 2: Finish the filling

Ingredients:

Pinon (pine) nuts (roast these but watch them carefully so they do not burn, I am not sure if you want to grind these or leave them whole)

1 lb of golden raisins

1 lb of black currents

Dates may also be used if you would like (Sepharina and Josephine would use them sometimes)

You will hot plump these using 1 cup of hot water. You can also throw some brandy into the water for added flavor while you are plumping the raisins and currents. 

Red Apples, peeled and cored, then you can either grind them or use a knife to chop them coarsely. 

You may use 1/2 green and 1/2 red or golden apples as well. 

I could not get an exact amount to use, Melinda said that is depends on the amount of meat used, but it sounds like you want 2/3 meat to 1/3 apples, or maybe even half and half. 

Mix the meat with the fruit, and pine nuts and then add whiskey and white granulated sugar to taste. The mixture is not supposed to be really sweet. 

Add 2 eggs to the mixture. 

You will also a small amount of flour to the mixture, but not much because that will come in the pastry.

Then you will chill the filling overnight. This step is very important. 

Day 3: Make the pastry and fill the empanadas. 

1/2 lard and 1/2 butter

Flour

Salt

water

Mix the dough. You want it to have an elastic texture, not a flaky one.

Then you will create rounds with the dough that are about the size of a large coffee mug in width, maybe 3 or 4 inches in diameter. 

You will add one 1 T of filling in the middle of each pastry. Then fold it in half and use an egg and water mixture to seal it's edges. Then crimp the edges in an empanada fashion. Chill the pastry after it has been filled. 

Before cooking, wash the entire pastry with the egg wash and then deep fry it in oil until it is golden, then flip it and cook the other side. Once the pastry is golden, open it to see if the apple and raisins have been cooked. There will be no need to worry about the meat since it has already been cooked. 

You may also bake them on cookie sheets if you wish.