The History of Pecan Pie

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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza | IG @ worldagainstjose | @KetchupwithMaxandJose

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#tastinghistory #pecanpie #thanksgiving

[Xenolaothe]

Recipe amounts for those who may need them in the future:
1 cup (235ml) whole milk
1 cup (220g) brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of flour
1/2 cup (60g) of finely chopped pecans (Plus some for top)
1 pinch of salt.

[sleighboy]

Regarding Jefferson instructing they be stored in sand. That is to regulate humidity during their voyage at sea and as they shuffled around locations until delivered. As with preservation of roots and tubers to this day.

[bylen]

My Grandmother, born in 1910 lived along the Mississippi River where they had pecan groves. Every year at Christmas she would send us gifts. In that box was always 2 pecan pies. Rich and firm with pecans all the way through. Never since those pies have I found one like them. Everyone I have had since has been a let down.When I saw this video I realized why...no Karo syrup. I immediately bought your book. It arrived just in time for Thanksgiving. Now I can show my daughter how a real pecan pie tastes. And perhaps resume the tradition. Thank you so much. This video meant a lot to me.

[thecraftycyborg]

For those curious what a “state pie” is, it’s simple- a pie good enough to take to the State Fair and enter it into competition! I’ve heard the phrase before. (I’m from Kentucky and a crafter, so picking out entries for the county and state fair is something I’m quite familiar with! Though now I’m tempted to enter my personal jam into the local fair circuit next year- jam.)

[firefighterc]

I know this is a couple years old, but I'd like to add. When Max says the first orchard wasn't planted until the 1800s, that is technically correct, Native Americans didn't plant orchards, they did however manage native growth. Trees were kept spaced apart by removing saplings that tried to spring up, allowing new growth in certain areas, etc to manage the trees as in an orchard. The same for Native Americans in California with oak trees to manage acorn production. While they didn't physically plant trees to produce an orchard, they did manage the forest in a way to establish an orchard for maximum production of the trees.

[alliesealock]

I'm from North East Texas (near Tyler, Texas). My great aunt used to make a pecan pie very similar to this (no nuts or meringue on top but more nuts in the filling) for every Thanksgiving and Christmas. She was one of those ladies who never recorded or shared her recipes so I haven't had it in about a decade and have been missing it. Now I can make it this year!

[millenniumf]

My mother died recently, last weekend in fact, and her signature recipe that she made every Thanksgiving and Christmas was pecan pie. I hadn't gotten around to sitting down with her and asking her to teach it to me before she passed, so I'll have to look around her kitchen and find the recipe card for it and hope I can make it as well as she did. Regardless, it's kind of appropriate that this week's episode is on her most cherished dish, and you're making me smile instead of cry because you're reminding me of her generosity and all the times she's made it for me and my friends.

[Jaydoggy]

I have two reactions to this.
1. "Yay, a new recipe!"
2. "FINALLY! A non-syrup pecan pie!"

[candithegreat]

I made this pie last year but didn't write down the recipe, this creation is so delicious and tastes so much better that traditional. Here is the recipe and steps if anyone else needs it. Pecan Pie Tart
1 cup whole milk
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 TBS Flour
½ cup finely chopped Pecans
1 pinch of salt
1 cup whole pecans for topping the pie
1 pie crust

Merengue:
2 Egg Whites
2-3 TBS of fine sugar (powdered sugar)

Prep:
1. Blind bake the pie in tart pan at 425* for 12 mins
2. Remove foil and bake pie tart for additional 5 to 7 mins OR until bottom of pie starts to brown.
3. Take baked pie out of oven and turn temp to 350, allow pie shell to cool down
Filling:
1. Whisk your eggs.
2. Add milk, brown sugar, beaten eggs, flour, chopped pecans, and salt to a medium sauce pan.
3. Whisk all ingredients to combine.
4. Set saucepan over low heat and gently stir while it warms and begins to thicken.
Low and slow is important here, you want a custard not scrambled eggs.
5. After 7 to 8 Mins or thickened pour mixture into pie shell.
Baking
6. Add the whole pecans on top of the pie mixture in a decorative pattern.
7. Place pie back in oven for 30 to 35 or just a slit wobble in the center.
8. Once done baking let the pie cool for at least an 30 mis.
Merengue
9. Whisk egg whites on medium speed until you start to get soft peaks.
10. Then switch to high speed and the sugar in VERY Slowly.
11. Keep whisking until you have Shiny Stiff Peaks.
12. Either spread or pipe the merengue onto the pie.
13. Return pie to the oven and back for 12 minutes to let the merengue brown.

[Tiffany-mb]

Just walked into my living room and told my husband "I wanna make a pecan pie" and he said "what did Max tell you to do?" 😂

[Bysmerian]

So I just have to say this episode was a *delight* for me and my wife. Her family (southern, but not texan) has a cream pecan pie recipe that goes back generations and closely resembles this; I've never seen something like it crop up anywhere until today. She watched the entire episode rapt, and when Max delivered his verdict she raised her fists in the air triumphant.

I don't know if I'll make the recipe myself anytime soon--like I said, we have something similar that's pretty much winning hearts and minds already--but thank you so much for this episode.

Edit the morning after: For what it is worth, I decided to share that recipe here. Max's is probably better, especially if you really want the nutty texture in there, but eh. I've included a few personal tweaks here: these include processing the nuts as far as I do, increasing the filling mainly so I can have an extra egg white in the meringue and feel more comfortable I have enough to cover the top, and the addition of bourbon that would make my wife a widow if her mother--who grew up a good southern baptist woman in a good southern baptist household--ever found out.

CREAM PECAN PIE:

4 eggs, divided
1 tsp vanilla
sugar, divided (1 cup and 1/2 cup)
1 1/3 cup milk
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp butter
1 c. ground pecans*
1 pie shell (your choice; I have a homemade graham cracker crust I like with this)
1 tbsp Bourbon (optional)

*(Optional) I usually start with 2 cups of whole or chunks, and let my food processor do its work until what I have is a spreadable butter. I don't much care for the texture of the nut bits and this takes care of that.

Mix the flour and 1c sugar in a saucepan, then add milk, butter, and well-beaten egg yolks. Cook over low heat until it thickens.

Set this aside, start preheating the oven to 350, and allow the custard to cool, then add ground pecans, bourbon, and vanilla to it.

Beat remaining (1/2c) sugar and egg whites into stiff peaks. Stir half of the egg whites into the cream pecan filling to lighten it, and then pour the filling into the pie shell. Cover the top of the pie completely with the remaining meringue, and then bake in the preheated oven until the meringue is browned.

[christineh]

This is similar to my family’s pecan pie recipe has a custard made of butter, eggs, vanilla, and sugar (no flour) with a secret ingredient- white vinegar. The nuts can be added to the filling but I usually arrange them on top because it’s prettier and you get a distinct custard layer. The pie is not a sticky sweet as pecan pie made with corn syrup can be, but has a rich, buttery flavor. My grandmother got the recipe in the 20s from the label on a bottle of vinegar.

[Tricksterbelle]

As a born Mississippian, pecans are one of those produce items best purchased from the back of some random man's truck. Pecans by the pound are popular Christmas favors. It just means the whole family is recruited for shelling while watching Christmas movies. My mom smuggled some pecans into CA on her last visit so I might try this!

[Ieyena]

Part of the reason why I love your channel so much is because I have dietary restrictions and interestingly enough historic recipes don't have a lot of the ingredients that I can't have in them. That and you're absolutely entertaining to watch.

[kalinepereira]

The way Karo changed the pecan pie forever with corn syrup reminds me how nestlé upturned brazillian deserts in the 20th century with condensed milk. All of our custard based recipes from portuguese, african and even arabic influence are nowadays prepared with condensed milk. And more recently we are seeing nutella also dominating more traditional flavors… kinda sad ngl

[mil_enrama]

It’s not entirely accurate that the pecan tree was wild.
Indigenous people planted pecan groves and cared for them, so future generations could come back to them and find food. Even now, there are still pecan groves all over the place because of this.
If you want to learn more, read “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Kimmerer.

[andrewhawking]

When Max eats that pie, he looks like the happiest hamster in the world.

[canary]

Interesting, so this recipe is basically a pecan-flavored custard pie. That sounds a lot tastier than the syrup-based one. I'll have to try this one this year. :D

[katconnery]

Made this pecan pie for Thanksgiving. IT'S A KEEPER!!! I'm making again for Christmas. Thanks Max!!

[Drake]

years ago, I remember my dad struggling to find a pre-corn syrup recipe for pecan pie! He wasn't overly successful, though. But now, his mission can at last be completed XD