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Sweet Baby Suet
I am overwhelmed, and frustrated, by this pandemic and our utter failure to see the peril looming on our Holiday Horizon if we don’t smarten up, fast. It seems we’ve come down to thinking, “What if we just go ahead and have a little, bitty get together. You know what I mean, just an afternoon of chatting, then dinner with friends and family. Who could it hurt? If we keep it on the “down low”, no one suffers.” Right? Am I right? It sounds as if we can’t acknowledge there’s a problem. “I can’t possibly be the cause of the problem. It’s the other people.” Obviously, this is how a pandemic works its black magic on us. How did we go from “let’s flatten the curve” to “what damage could one festive gathering possibly do?” At this point, I’m tempted to switch from my usual, or unusual, column to posting my favourite household hacks and family recipes. Yeah. That’s what I’ll do. Today, I’ve got two really, really old family recipes, and next week I’ll post one of my favourite household hacks. To H E double heck and hades with the pandemic.
MINCEMEAT
First of all, gather all of the ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of finely chopped beef (roast or a steak)
2 cups of chopped apples (Braeburns or Baldwins)
1/2 cup of finely chopped suet
1 and bit cups of white sugar (finely ground)
1 cup of hard cider
1 cup of pickle syrup (you read that right)
1/4 pound of chopped citron
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of mace
A grating of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
1 teaspoon grated cinnamon
1 cup of sultanas
2/3 cup of currants
Mix all ingredients together in a large pot. Cook over medium flame for one hour. Spoon into sterilized sealer jars. If I remember correctly, this is much better if you don’t use it for a few days. Now the pastry as I remember it.
SUET PASTRY
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 cups hard wheat flour which is sifted
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup finely chopped suet
1 cup of very cold water
Sift flour and baking powder together, add salt, suet and water then mix into a smooth firm dough. Chill, roll out and line a deep dish.
Just to be clear, I have made both of these recipes. The first time I remember making mincemeat pees, with Mom, I was about eight years old. It wasn’t something my mom enjoyed, mincemeat, but it was something she made because my father, and his family, did love a bit of a “gall bladder attack”. I guess the Durnings didn’t feel like it was the Festive Season unless someone vowed their undying love for mincemeat and then, in almost the same breath, vowed never to eat another slice of mincemeat pie. Pie never caused a pandemic, at least to the best of my knowledge.
Bain taitneamh as! And, Laethanta Saoire Sona!
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