makes 16 to 20 quarts

1. Put the beef in a pot, cover with water, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender. Reserve the liquid. Let the meat cool and remove any gristle. Chop the meat in a food processor or meat grinder until finely ground.

2. Cut the suet up into golf-ball-size pieces. Chill well. Chop fine by pulsing in batches in a food processor or by using a meat grinder.

3. Mix the beef and suet in a large bowl (or washtub) with all the remaining ingredients except the molasses and cider. Warm the liquid the beef was cooked in, and stir in the molasses and cider. Add to the mincemeat and mix well. Adjust the spices to taste. Let cool.

4. Pack into plastic 1-quart containers and freeze. (Or, as was done before there were freezers, pack into 1-quart canning jars, pour a thin layer of molasses on top, and set in a cool place.) Mincemeat needs to age for about a month before use, so take the container out of the freezer a month ahead of time, pour a thin layer of molasses on top, put the cover back on, and refrigerate for a month.

Recipes are from _Martha Stewart's Pies & Tarts_.