Citrusy Mince Meat

8 servings
30 min prep time
72 hrs 30 min total time

Traditional Mince Meat is made with suet, the hard fat from beef or lamb found around the organs.  This is a vegetarian version, from Tia Keenan, made with coconut oil and a variety of citrus, which brightens up the dried fruit and warm spices, and plays well against the zing of young goat cheese. 

Ingredients

1 tart apple, finely grated, (such as Granny Smith, Cortland, or Braeburn)

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup dried Calimyrna figs, chopped

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped

2 tablespoons candied citrus peel

1/2 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons dark rum, reserve 1 tablespoon for finishing

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Freshly grated zest from one orange, one lemon, one lime

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 ounces Classic Vermont Creamery Goat Cheese

Directions

  • STEP 1

    Place all ingredients except goat cheese in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, approximately 30 minutes or until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. Allow to cool completely, adding the reserved tablespoon of rum before storing in a non-reactive container in the refrigerator.

  • STEP 2

    Store in refrigerator, allowing flavors to blend, for a minimum of three days before serving. Store, refrigerated, up to three months. If the mince starts to look a little dry, refresh it with some additional rum.

  • STEP 3

    Serve with fresh goat cheese.

Tia Keenan

Tia Keenan_Image

Tia Keenan

Tia Keenan is a New York City-based cook, cheese specialist, writer, and cheese industry consultant.  She writes the “Cheese Wisely” column for the Wall Street Journal and is the author of The Art of the Cheese Plate: Pairings, Recipes, Style, Attitude (Rizzoli, 2016). Keenan’s work has been featured in various media outlets, including Food & Wine, The New Yorker, and The Food Network. She lives in Queens, New York with her husband - celebrated sommelier Hristo Zisovski – and her son. Learn more about Tia, and her new book The Art of the Cheese Plate, here.

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