As I look at the card's reverse, and indeed every time I mull the term "mince meat," I wonder about the meat part. Every mince meat I've ever eaten has been store-bought and richly fruity, but where's does the meat part come into play?
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Ever Wonder About Mince Meat?
As I look at the card's reverse, and indeed every time I mull the term "mince meat," I wonder about the meat part. Every mince meat I've ever eaten has been store-bought and richly fruity, but where's does the meat part come into play?
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I didn't know why it was called minced "meat", but certainly today's shop-bought mincemeat doesn't have meat in it. Mostly they are now called mince pies, so perhaps that explains why the meat has been eliminated. I agree, they are rather a tasty morcel to set before a king, and I always preferred them to plum pudding, (aka Christmas pudding). But as I'm not really a sweet eater, I don't bother with either. When it's served after a large Christmas dinner, I think eating it might make one rather uncomfortable. Understandable perhaps in the days when people suffered from malnutrition, but I don't think many in the developed world have that issue today...quite the reverse!
ReplyDeleteDear Columnist,
DeleteI always assumed there had been meat in the pies, and then wondered how it was prepared, given less advanced refrigeration.
I've always looked forward to Christmas pudding because I see it as the vehicle for my grandfather's sugary hard sauce. But of course we always wait at least an hour between dinner and the pudding!
Hello Mark, For some reason mince meat has never appealed to me, despite its frequently turning up in old books, cookbooks and now Victorian advertising.
ReplyDeleteMention of mincemeat always makes me think of Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat: They dined on mince, and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon....
It seems that the boy in the ad even dispensed with the spoon and went for a more direct attack.
--Road to Parnassus
Hello, Jim,
DeleteI have always bemoaned the fact that mince pies are only available seasonally, for I could happily eat them all year round. I've wondered whether it is the appearance of mince pies, rather than the taste, that makes them offputting to so many people, but either way works to my advantage!
I once ate a piece of mince pie that included meat in it, many years ago in England, when I was an exchange student there. It was rather delicious, I recall. That same year I tried Spotted Dick for the first time (marvelous with heavy sweetened cream or custard poured over it), Stilton cheese, authentic trifle, and runny tomato-y baked beans. All, except the last one, divine.
ReplyDeleteHello, Reggie,
DeleteI would like to try an authentic mince meat pie someday. My most exotic Christmas dinner was in 2008, when I dined at a hotel in Lakeland, Florida and had elk meat.
Dear Mark - I recall my mother making a big bowl of mincemeat when I was a child and she always put shredded beef suet in it.
ReplyDeleteI could not be bothered to make it myself, life is too short, and very good mincemeat is readily available here to purchase. These days I prefer a vegetarian mincemeat, which sounds rather a contradiction.
I suppose when one questions the use of meat and fruit together, which I believe goes back to the times of the Crusaders, there are dishes today where we use meat and fruit. Sweet and sour pork for example, many curry dishes contain apples and raisins, gammon and pineapple, and lamb and apricot tagine.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteAs one who does little cooking, it makes perfect sense to me to buy a mince pie I couldn't duplicate at the same price anyway.
Because Americans have not embraced mince pies (the way I have) I wonder whether I'll see it disappear over here. I notice "mince" has replaced "mince meat," and this year I saw a mince pie simply labeled "fruit pie," so maybe I'll have to buckle down and learn the recipe!
Dear Mark,
ReplyDeleteI love mince pies. I also love making mince meat. It is true as Rosemary says that you can buy very good mince meat but I have to say that once you have made your own shop bought doesn't compare. At least that is what I find. And the aroma in the kitchen is fab!
I have made mince pies this evening for my coworkers. I use orange scented pastry which goes well with the filling.
As I can't get beef suet here I use coconut fat - it works just as well and you only use it to coat the apple so that the acid from it doesn't make the other fruit ferment.
That mince meat recipe you have on your post is probably more akin to the original medieval version - a good way of preserving the meat in the cold winter months.
I smiled when I read Reggie's post. Spotted Dick - I always hated that as a child and would attempt to fain a stomach ache if I knew it was going to appear at table but as an adult I love it!
Dear Kirk, You have some very lucky coworkers and I'm just sorry that I'm not one of them! Yes, I have always imagined that this dish goes back hundreds of years, back to a time when people had to be very resourceful in preserving all their foods. The food from my childhood that I never liked was liver, but my mother always wrapped it in bacon, so I didn't have to pretend an ache.
DeleteWe grew up with mincepies and tarts because, I suppose, of my English father.
ReplyDeleteI have been making mince tarts recently. First for Thanksgiving and then for some Christmas parties. People always say that their grandparents used to have these. They're usually a little sceptical, but when they try them, generally they want another. Mince tarts are not completely sweet nor are they savoury. I will be making some more for our family Christmas party.
Hi, PD - My Swiss grandmother made large plum tarts (dinner plate size) and they were of course the best tarts I ever had. It's good to hear that people are still making tarts, and yours do sound very good.
ReplyDeleteI love mincemeat but haven't had a good one in years. My mom used to make with with suet--my father was a butcher--but I don't think it ever had any cow or deer in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm much more intrigued by the illustration. Doesn't it seem unusual for an African-American boy to be depicted on an advertisement at the time period? And seemingly not in any kind of insensitive manner. It makes me wonder if the Atmore's might have been African-American...but selling English goods? Interesting.
Hello, Steve,
DeleteYou raise an interesting point. As you know by now, I have collected 19th century advertising for decades. I once had a sizeable sub-collection of trade cards relating to African-Americans, and most of it was insensitive to the point of ugliness. And because of that very historic quality, those pieces were more collectible, and yet I felt all the less for owning them. I sold off all that were in that vein, and this card is one of about a half dozen charming cards left.
I don't believe Atmore was African-American — I have a number of cards that would lead me to believe otherwise.
I've always wondered about the 'minced meat' part and for years never took a bite if I happen to be in the presence of a mm pie.
ReplyDeleteBut more recently I find that I like the stuff especially with some ice cream on the side. Since the pies I've tried have no 'meat' in them, I'm fine with the concept. :)
Hi, Yvette - Well, it's an aquired taste, and I aquired it long ago. But don't tell anyone it's good — all the more for us!
ReplyDelete