Mince Meat Pies

When I first came across to England I had a hard time with some of the food terminology:  French fries were 'chips', potato chips were 'crisps' and mince meat pies had no meat in them.  Apparently they once did, though. Brits frequently use the terms 'sweet' and 'savory' and the latter term only ever used to mean a sort of herb to me. Savory over here usually means 'salty or spicy' as opposed to 'sweet' in flavour.  The original mince pies were savory, whereas today they are sweet.

I did a bit of research that said that the traditional spices (nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon) used in mince meat pies were brought back from the Holy Land by the Crusaders and were associated with gifts to the Christ child.  The mixing of spices and fruits with shredded / minced beef or mutton were a way of preserving the meats.  Pastry pies filled with this mixture would last for months in the cold weather.  I believe I'll just take their word for that.   

The original pies were coffin or crib shaped, again referencing the baby Jesus.  They were often called Christmas pie, which is pretty much the only time I ever see them around here, though now they tend to be round and very small; this latter bit is a good thing, as they are extremely rich.

It's up!  Only 8 hours of work...

I found it interesting that in the mid-1600's, when Oliver Cromwell and his Puritans were in charge of the country, Christmas pie was looked upon as being associated with Catholicism.  It was condemned as hedonistic, as was Christmas altogether.  Christmas as viewed as being a pagan festival that encouraged gluttony and drinking.  Nevertheless, the utility of using fruits and spices to preserve meats (and perhaps a bit of rebellion) allowed the practice of making Christmas pies to survive.

By Victorian times, meat preservation was not as much an issue and so minced meats were added as an after thought if at all, though the use of suet has continued to the present time.  Some things it's best just not to think about.  Today's recipes are generally all about fruit and spices, with a bit of brandy thrown in for good measure.

What brought about this discussion of minced meat pies?  Bill decided to bake some this week.  He used a jar of minced meat from the supermarket, but he rolled out his very own pastry.  They came out entirely edible and I was well impressed by his efforts.   He liked his efforts pretty well too I guess, as he bought more mince in preparation to make more pies.