So, what exactly is mincemeat pie? As usual, the history of this traditional dish is quite varied, but it has roots in medieval England. When it first became popular, it was a dish that contained spices, meat including mutton, rabbit, and beef, suet (animal fat), various fruits, and spirits of some sort. Due to the rarity and expense of spices during medieval times, mincemeat pie was consumed during special occasions—and Christmas became the perfect holiday for the pie. Christmas was an extravagant celebration in England with twelve days of feasting and festivities.

Figure 1 Artistic rendering of a medieval feast.

Not all religious groups in England appreciated the revelry associated with Christmas. One group in particular, the Puritans, attempted to diminish the celebratory mood and recognize the holiday as a somber occasion, without pagan influences of celebration. One way they attempted to do so was by banning the dish at feats. The ban itself only lasted a couple of years during the 17th century. It was through the Puritans that the dish arrived in America during colonial times, though its connection to Christmas wasn’t as prominent there.

Figure 2 Artistic rendering of Puritans in Massachusetts.

Mincemeat pie consumed today looks vastly different from the mincemeat of medieval times. Early pie crusts were not intended to be eaten, but were containers to cook the food in. These rectangular shaped containers were known as coffins. Not only did these early pie crusts help make food transportable, they also helped preserve the food. Once the pie was cooked, it would often be left for several days before eating, as the “coffin” protected the food from bugs or other contaminants. As sugar and fat became more accessible, the pastries became tastier and an integral part of mincemeat pie. Even as early as the 1740s, recipe books that were published left it up to the consumer whether they would be adding meat to their mincemeat pies. The once savory dish became sweeter. By the Victorian era, the dish was almost entirely sweet, and often lacked any meat at all. Vegetarian options exist today with the invention of vegetable oil and vegetable shortening.

Mince pies or hot mince pies were served on various railroad dining cars or restaurants, especially during the holidays. In 1871 the Denver & Rio Grande (D&RG) featured a mince pie in their 1871 Colorado Springs Eating House menu during Christmas (See figure 3). Union Pacific had a mince pie option on their dining car menu in November of 1958 (see figure 4) and the Chicago Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) railroad had a hot mince pie option on their dining car menu in November of 1941 (figure 5).

Figure 3 Denver & Rio Grande (D&RG) Christmas menu, 1871 featuring mince pie.

Figure 4 Union Pacific menu, November 1958.

Figure 5 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q) menu, November 1941.

The recipe for mincemeat pie included in the Union Pacific Dining Car Cook Book and Service Instructions included the instructions on how to make the pie dough, but not on what the mincemeat consisted of exactly. In addition to Union Pacific’s recipe, we are also featuring a recipe from the Rocky Mountain Cook Book first published in 1903. Caroline Trask Norton, author of the Rocky Mountain Cook Book noted, “A well made plain pastry is good enough for most any pie. But the puff paste greatly improves a mince pie, especially for special occasions, like Thanksgiving or Christmas.”

Figure 6 Rocky Mountain Cook Book, originally published in 1903.

We hope you enjoyed our brief history on mincemeat or mince pie. Whether you enjoy a more traditional recipe, like the one featured here, or a sweeter modern counterpart, we hope you like the dish! Let us know if you try the recipe in the comments or on our social media channels.

Union Pacific Mince Pie

Five well filled pies can be obtained from one gallon of mince meat. Place mince meat in pastry lined pie tin. Fill the shell and cover with top crust. Bake in a moderate oven until the crust is brown.

Union Pacific Pie Dough

Ingredients
5 lbs. Flour or 20 cups
3 ½ lbs. Lard or 7 cups
1 ½ oz. Salt or 5 Tablespoons
1 ½ pts. Ice Water

Directions
When making pie dough, flour should be cool, lard cold and water ice cold. Place flour in mixing pan. Blend with the salt and shortening by cutting in the lard with two table knives held in one hand or by mixing with the hands. If latter method is used, care should be exercised to insure unbroken pieces of lard about the size of small peas to remain in the mixture before adding the water. Do not over-mix or the pastry will not be flaky. The amount of water should be carefully followed. Pie dough should be placed in the ice box only to the extent that it should be chilled through and the dough will handle or roll easily. Handle as little as possible in rolling. Empty on pastry board and roll out. Dust on a little flour and fold twice and roll out again, doing this three times. For all pies with a top crust, make four or five incisions in top crust to allow moisture to escape. Press top and bottom edges of crust together and brush with mixture of one tablespoon of hot water in one-half cup of melted butter. Do not butter bottom of pie tin or sprinkle with cracker meal or flour before placing in pie tin. Bake quickly in hot oven.

Rocky Mountain Cook Book Mince Meat

Ingredients
4 cups chopped meat.
1 cup chopped suet.
8 cups chopped apple (sour).
2 cups meat liquor.
2 cups brown sugar.
2 cups molasses.
2 cups cider.

Juice and grated rind of two lemons.
Juice and grated rind of three oranges.

1 lb. of stoned and chopped raisins.
1 lb. washed currants.
½ lb. chopped citron.
½ lb. chopped figs.
½ lb. chopped English walnuts, if liked.
2 tablespoonfuls of salt.
2 tablespoonfuls cinnamon.
2 teaspoonfuls mace.
2 teaspoonfuls powdered cloves.
2 teaspoonfuls allspice.
1 cup of brandy.
2 tablespoonfuls rose water.

Directions
Mix in the order given. Use gold tea in place of cider and brandy if you wish. Cook slowly in a preserving kettle for one hour, stirring often. Add the brandy and rose water after removing from the stove. Meat from the lower part of the round is the best to use. A little more brandy or wine can be poured over the pie just before the upper crust is put on. Mince meat is better to pack in an earthen jar, and to keep several days before using. Sauterne may be used in place of cider.

Rocky Mountain Cook Book Plain Pastry

Ingredients
1 ½ cups of flour.
½ cup of lard.
2 tablespoonfuls of butter.
1/8 teaspoonful of salt.
Ice water.

Directions
Sift the flour and salt together, cut in the lard with a knife or rub in with the tip of the fingers, then cut in just enough ice water to hold it together. In putting in the water add only a few drops at a time, so as not to get too much. The pastry should be dry. Flour the board well, and roll out the pastry lightly, patting it with the rolling pin to get in shape to roll. Cover it over with one tablespoonful of butter cut in little bits; sprinkle a little flour over the butter. (The pastry should be rolled in an even square). Fold over the two sides to nearly meet in the center, then fold the ends over to the center, and the ends over again on over the other, making a square piece of pastry; pat and roll out again, place the other tablespoonful of butter and roll and fold in the same way; roll and fold once more, making three times in all. The pastry is then ready for use. All pastry is better to remain on the ice some time before using. It can be kept a week or more in this way.

Rocky Mountain Cook Book Puff Paste (Mrs. Lincoln)

Four cups of flour (or one pound), two cups of butter (or one pound), one-fourth teaspoonful of salt, ice water, This amount makes about twelve paté shells.

Put the butter in a bowl of ice water, work it with the hands or wooden spoon until it becomes smooth and waxy. This is to wash out the salt and make it lighter. Then knead it in a napkin to get out all the water, pat it in half a dozen flat thin strips, lay it flat on a napkin in a pan; place this pan between two pans that are filled with cracked ice. This is done to thoroughly chill the butter. Sift the flour and salt together, mix it to a stiff dough with ice water, using a knife and only a few drops of water at a time. Then knead it on the board until it is smooth, place on the ice for thirty minutes. Then four the board well and toss the ball of dough on it, using a knife; then roll out in a long sheet. Take one piece of the butter from the ice, roll it in a little flour, cut in thin strips and place on the pastry; fold over the sides of the pastry, letting the edges just meat in the center. Then fold the ends over to the center and double it over again; pound gently in a flat cake and roll out again. Roll each piece of butter in the same way. After the butter is all in, roll and fold once more, or as many more times as you care to do it. Should the paste become soft and sticky, put it on the ice for a while, then flour the board well and roll out. The paste should be folded and rolled till no streaks of butter remain. Then place it on the ice to chill, or cut out in the shapes to be used, place in the pans and chill on the ice for thirty minutes before baking.

To Bake Puff Paste

The dough should be ice cold before putting in the oven. The oven should be hot, the greater heat at the bottom so the paste may rise before browning. It is well to place an asbestos mat or paper on the grate above them so they will not brown too soon. A brown crust over the top will hold them down and prevent them being as light. Paté cases should bake about twenty-five minutes, and tarts fifteen minutes.

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