Best Talent Attainables Mincemeat Pie - salt

Method

• Place the salt pork in a saucepan and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer 3 minutes.
• Drain and finely dice the salt pork.
• Set aside.
• Place the granulated sugar in a small saucepan set over medium heat.
• When the edges begin to bubble, stir with a fork until the sugar is completely melted.
• Scrape the melted sugar into a large pot.
• Add the salt pork, meat, broth, powdered sugar, raisins, prunes and cider.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, adjust the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and all the ingredients are well blended, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the cubed meat from the pot, place in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
• Return the meat to the pot and cook an additional 15 minutes.
• Stir in the salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, mace, nutmeg and citron.
• Remove from heat and pour the brandy over the top.
• (Can be made to this point several days in advance and kept refrigerated.)
• When ready to assemble the pies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir the apples into the mincemeat and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in lemon juice.
• Roll three of the disks of pastry dough out to disks 11 inches in diameter and ease them into three 9-inch pie pans.
• Divide the mincemeat among the pans.
• Roll the remaining dough out to disks 10 inches in diameter and cover the tops of the pies with them.
• Trim excess dough and pinch the edges of the top and bottom crusts together with your fingers to seal them.
• Use a paring knife to poke a few slits in the top of each crust.
• Bake until filling is bubbling and crusts are lightly browned, 60 to 65 minutes.
• Serve warm or chilled.