Suet Mince Pies with Lard and Butter Pastry

A proper mince pie needs only two things: rich, glossy mincemeat and pastry that is crisp outside and tender inside. Both depend on fat. Here the mincemeat is made with beef suet, the way it has been made in British kitchens for generations, and the pastry uses lard and butter. Make the mincemeat now and it will be ready long before the first carol singers turn up.

Why suet in the mincemeat?

Suet is the hard fat from around a cow's kidneys. It melts slowly, so when you warm the mincemeat it coats every raisin and currant instead of pooling. That gives a filling that is rich and glossy rather than greasy. Ask your butcher for fresh suet and grate it while it is cold; if you struggle to find one, LocalHarvest lists farms and markets that sell beef fat directly.

Why lard and butter in the pastry?

Lard gives the short, flaky texture that makes a mince pie crumble properly, which is why it is the backbone of our flaky lard pie crust. Butter brings flavour and that golden finish. For more on handling pastry, from keeping the fat cold to rolling evenly, the King Arthur Baking pie guide is excellent.

Makes: 18 mince pies, plus about half the mincemeat left over for another batch · Prep: 40 minutes, plus overnight soaking and 30 minutes chilling · Cook: 3 hours for the mincemeat, 20 minutes for the pies

Ingredients

For the suet mincemeat

• 100g shredded beef suet (see the FAQ on packet suet)
• 1 Bramley apple (about 225g), peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 175g raisins
• 175g currants
• 100g sultanas
• 50g chopped mixed peel
• 150g dark muscovado sugar
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 50g blanched almonds, chopped (optional)
• 4 tbsp brandy

For the lard and butter pastry

• 350g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 100g cold lard, diced
• 75g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 4–5 tbsp ice-cold water
• 1 small egg, beaten, or a little milk, to glaze
• Icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. The day before: put everything for the mincemeat except the brandy in a large ovenproof bowl and mix well. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight in a cool place so the fruit soaks up the citrus juice.
2. Heat the oven to 120°C (100°C fan, gas ½). Cover the bowl loosely with foil and bake the mincemeat for 3 hours. The suet will melt and coat the fruit; it will look alarmingly fatty at first.
3. Take the bowl out and stir every so often as it cools. As it cools, the melted suet coats every piece of fruit and the mixture turns glossy. When completely cold, stir in the brandy. Pack into clean, sterilised jars and keep in the fridge until needed.
4. For the pastry, mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in the lard and butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, with a few pea-sized pieces of fat left. Sprinkle over the water a tablespoon at a time, mixing with a knife, until the dough just comes together.
5. Pat into a flat disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6).
6. Roll the pastry out to about 3mm thick. Cut 18 rounds with a 7.5cm fluted cutter and press them into the holes of two shallow bun tins (or bake in two batches). Re-roll the trimmings and cut 18 lids with a 6cm cutter or star cutter.
7. Fill each case with a heaped teaspoon or so of mincemeat; do not overfill or it will bubble out. Brush the pastry edges with egg, press on the lids and make a small slit in the top of any solid lids. Brush the tops with egg.
8. Bake for 18–20 minutes until golden. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then lift onto a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or cold.

Tips

• Keep the lard and butter in the fridge until the moment you use them. Warm fat makes tough pastry.
• Grate fresh suet on the coarse side of a box grater straight from the fridge, dusting your hands with a little flour if it sticks.
• Star-shaped lids look festive and let steam escape, so you do not need to cut a slit.
• Mince pies have a long and surprisingly winding history; the Food Timeline is a rewarding place to read about it. For other bakes, our seed-oil-free baking guide explains which fat to use where.

FAQ

Is there meat in mince pies?

No. Traditional mincemeat contains beef suet, which is the raw, hard fat from around the kidneys, but no meat. The fruit, sugar, spice and brandy do all the talking; the suet is there for richness. If the name puzzles you, the Food Timeline has a good collection of material on how mincemeat developed.

Can I use packet suet?

Yes, but read the label. Many packets of shredded beef suet are tossed in flour to keep the shreds separate, which matters if you avoid wheat. Vegetable suet is a different product made from vegetable fats, so check its ingredients if you are cooking without seed oils. Fresh suet from a butcher, grated while cold, is the simplest option.

Why bake the mincemeat?

Gently heating it melts the suet so it coats the fruit evenly instead of sitting in white flecks. The result is glossy and rich, and the brandy goes in once it is cold so its flavour stays fresh.

Why use lard and butter in the pastry?

Lard makes pastry short and flaky, and butter gives flavour and a golden colour. Together you get a case that is crisp enough to hold the filling but still crumbles when you bite it. You can make it all-butter if you prefer; it will be a little less tender.

Can I make mince pies ahead?

Yes. Make the mincemeat a few weeks ahead and keep it in sterilised jars in the fridge. Unbaked pies freeze well in their tins; bake them from frozen, adding a few minutes to the time.

Can I leave out the brandy?

Yes. Use extra orange juice instead. The mincemeat will still taste good, but keep it in the fridge and use it sooner.

More ideas: Yorkshire puddings in beef dripping · Yorkshire parkin with butter · tallow vs suet · seed-oil-free desserts.

Try next: Christmas pudding with beef suet and brandy butter, made on Stir-up Sunday and steamed again on Christmas Day.