Venison Mincemeat Pie

Yield: 8 servings
2 c apple cider or apple juice
1 c dark seedless raisins
1/2 c dried sour or sweet cherries
- or cur; rants
1 1/2 c chopped, peeled apples
1/4 lb ground venison or lean
-ground beef
1 ts ground cinnamon
1 ts ground cloves
1 ts ground ginger
1/2 ts salt
1/2 ts ground nutmeg
1/4 ts ground allspice
1 pastry (recipe follows)
1. At least 4 hours before making pie, prepare the mincemeat: In heavy
2-quart saucepan, combine cider, raisins, and cherries. Cover and heat to boiling
over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add apples, venison, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and
allspice. Simmer 2 hours longer. Check occasion- ally and add water if
necessary to keep mincemeat from sticking to saucepan. Cool mincemeat to
room temperature. (Mincemeat can be made up to 3 months ahead and frozen. If
frozen, thaw mincemeat before making pie or baking time will be lengthened.)
3. Meanwhile, prepare pastry and refrigerate until ready to use-at least 30 minutes.
4. Heat oven to 350'F. Divide pastry into 3 equal pieces. Press 2 pieces
together and shape into a ball. Between 2 sheets of waxed paper, roll out ball of
pastry into an 11 -inch round. Remove top sheet of paper and invert pastry into 9-
inch pie plate, letting excess extend over edge. Remove bottom sheet of paper.
5. Between sheets of waxed paper, roll out remaining pastry to a 9 1/2- by 6-inch
rectangle. Remove top sheet of paper from pastry. Cut rectangle into four 9 1/2- by
1 1/2-inch strips.
6. Carefully spoon mincemeat into crust-lined pie plate. Remove pastry
strips from waxed paper, one at a time, and place across mincemeat to
create spokes. All four strips will overlap in the center. Lift edge of
bottom crust over ends of strips. Pinch together and flute edge. Place pie on rimmed
baking sheet.
7. Bake pie 50 to 55 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and filling bubbles. Cool
10 minutes on wire rack before cutting.
Pastry: In medium-size bowl, combine 1 1/2 C unsifted all-purpose flour and 1/2 t
salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in 1/3 C vegetable
shortening, chilled, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 5 to 6 T
cold water to flour mixture and mix lightly with fork until moistened;
gather into a ball. Wrap pastry and refrigerate 30 minutes.