Mince Meat

By: Loti Joos

This is a family recipe going back more than 100 years.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs chuck roast or preferred cut (do not brown first)
  • 1/2 lb. suet (optional)
  • 1 lb raisins (washed)
  • Apple Juice (as needed)
  • 1 pint applesauce
  • 1 lb dried apples
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 - 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 C vinegar (maybe more)

Directions

  1. Boil the meat (keep covered in water) until very tender
  2. Cool the meat and grind in a food processor, and put the broth aside.
  3. Reconstitute the dried apples (boil in water until it's a thick sauce)
  4. Mix broth (1/2 C minimum) and all ingredients, let simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour. Add apple juice as needed to keep moist. Stir often or it will burn.
  5. Taste: if it tastes flat add vinegar and salt.

Notes

“This recipe takes a lot of tasting and discussion as to – more salt? more vinegar? more sugar? maybe allspice? cinnamon? what do you think? hmm-m-m well?”

-Shirley Bogucki