Take brown sugar and ¼ cup of red wine in a large saucepan. Heat on low flame and stir gently till the sugar dissolves.
Add cranberries, ground spices, raisins, chopped dried fig, orange zest and orange juice.
Simmer and cook till the fruits break down and most of the liquid is reduced. (It took me 15 minutes for this.)
Switch the flame off, and keep the pan covered.
In a frying pan, take some butter, just enough to grease the pan. If you are using a non-stick frying pan, you can avoid using butter.
Add the ground meat, salt and 1½ tsp of red wine to the frying pan. Heat it on low flame and saute till the meat looks cooked. Switch the flame off and keep aside.
Now, take the sauce pan with the spiced fruit mixture. Squish the cranberries and other fruits using a potato masher or the back of a spoon.
To the fruit mixture, add the cooked meat (along with any fat released), chopped almonds, honey and brandy / rum / whiskey.
Mix well. The mincemeat is ready.
Cool completely and transfer to sterilised jars. They can be stored in the fridge for a week.