Traditional Mincemeat Pie

A nod to English holiday customs, this rich blend of dried fruit, beef, and citrus baked under a flaky crust delivers warmth and nostalgia in every slice.

Updated on December 20, 2025

This recipe for old-fashioned mincemeat pie—a version of which was featured in the classic 1861 Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management—was updated in 1999 in Jane Grigson’s English Food. To leave ample time for the fruit to soften and the flavors to meld, the mincemeat filling should be prepared at least two days but preferably up to two weeks prior to making the pie.

Featured in “A Prodigal Pie” by Beth Kracklauer in the November 2008 issue.

Makes
One 9-inch pie
Time
2 hours, plus chilling and soaking

Photo: Jenny Huang • Food Styling: Laura Rege • Prop Styling: Vanessa Vazquez

Ingredients

For the filling:

2 cups finely chopped beef suet
¾ cup dried currants
¾ cup finely chopped rump steak (about 3 oz.)
½ cup raisins
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. brandy
1½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1½ tsp. chopped candied citron peel
1½ tsp. chopped candied lemon peel
1½ tsp. chopped candied orange peel
¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
1½ Granny Smith apples, cored and finely chopped

For the crust:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
12 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 large egg, lightly beaten

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the beef suet, currants, rump steak, raisins, brown sugar, brandy, lemon zest, lemon juice, candied citron peel, candied lemon peel, candied orange peel, nutmeg, and apples. Transfer to a 1-quart jar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days and up to 2 weeks.

Step 2

Make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until pea-size crumbles form. Add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water and work the dough until it’s smooth with visible flecks of butter. (Alternatively, pulse the ingredients in a food processor.) Divide the dough in half and flatten into disks. Cover the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 3

When ready to bake, remove one of the dough disks from the fridge and set aside on a lightly floured work surface until pliable but still chilled, about 5 minutes. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough disk, rotating often and flouring the surface as needed to prevent sticking, into a 13-inch round about ⅛ inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, pressing gently against the sides and bottom to fit. Roll the remaining dough disk to the same size. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, brush the edges with water, and cover the pie with the second dough round, trimming it to leave a 1-inch overhang. Fold the top edge over the bottom crust to seal, crimping as desired. Cut a few steam vents in the top crust, then refrigerate the pie for 1 hour.

Step 4

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Brush the pie with the egg wash, then bake until golden, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.

Make the filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the beef suet, currants, rump steak, raisins, brown sugar, brandy, lemon zest, lemon juice, candied citron peel, candied lemon peel, candied orange peel, nutmeg, and apples. Transfer to a 1-quart jar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days and up to 2 weeks.
Make the crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until pea-size crumbles form. Add ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of ice-cold water and work the dough until it’s smooth with visible flecks of butter. (Alternatively, pulse the ingredients in a food processor.) Divide the dough in half and flatten into disks. Cover the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
When ready to bake, remove one of the dough disks from the fridge and set aside on a lightly floured work surface until pliable but still chilled, about 5 minutes. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough disk, rotating often and flouring the surface as needed to prevent sticking, into a 13-inch round about ⅛ inch thick. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, pressing gently against the sides and bottom to fit. Roll the remaining dough disk to the same size. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, brush the edges with water, and cover the pie with the second dough round, trimming it to leave a 1-inch overhang. Fold the top edge over the bottom crust to seal, crimping as desired. Cut a few steam vents in the top crust, then refrigerate the pie for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Brush the pie with the egg wash, then bake until golden, about 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.

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