"Holiday Mincemeat Pie" by Vice President Hubert Humphrey

Some recipes come from the less famous (no one but a political nerd like me knows Robert Ashmore, c’mon), but we’re on a roll this holiday season with big-name chefs. Thurgood Marshall, and now, Vice President Hubert Humphrey himself, gifting us a holiday mincemeat pie worth…considering.

Chef Hubert Humphrey

Democratic Vice President from Minnesota

As always, I followed the recipe word for word from my favorite president’s right-hand man, no alterations:

INGREDIENTS

1 9oz package of mincemeat

1.5 cups hot water

1-3 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

8" graham cracker crust

whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Break mincemeat into small pieces and add water and sugar.

There is meat in this mincemeat. I realize many modern mincemeat pies do not contain meat, but I wanted to stay true to the vintage nature of this recipe. So let there be beef.

2) Place over heat and stir until lumps are thoroughly broken.

3) Boil gently 10 minutes.

It took a while to thicken, and you’re going to believe that it’s too wet; not viscous enough. But it is, trust me. Trust the beef fat wafting into your nostrils — it is done.

4) Cool slightly. Pour into crumb crust in Pyrex cake dish and chill before topping with whipped cream. Serves 6.

Voila! If you want to actually watch me attempt to eat it, go to the CwC Instagram or TikTok. There’s a serious whiff of beef in my house as I type this. I know modern mincemeat pie often does not contain meat, and based on the initial scent, I support that idea. Something about this mincemeat mix is extra fatty, too — you can see the glimmer of beef tallow on the shiny surface, dotted with plumped raisins, chewy dates, and did I mentioned plumped raisins?

Verdict:

Do not put meat into a mincemeat pie.