What do you if you love lamb but are vegan? Redefine Meat have the answer.
Redefine Meat’s range was developed following an in-depth study of meat, and in collaboration with the world’s leading meat experts and chefs.
The aim was to bring everyone, everywhere, an experience of meat with the same taste, texture and aroma as traditional meat, but using plant-based ingredients.
And we have to say with their lamb kebab mince they’ve nailed it.
We tried a 1kg pack of mince to make the dishes below as well as a Lasagne and the results were super tasty. You have to work the mince hard with a wooden spoon to stop it clumping when making a ‘meat’ sauce,, although that same tendency is ideal when making burgers and kofta. They don’t fall apart.
The aroma when cooking is very pleasant, my partner called down the stairs to ask what I was making as it smelt good, and of course there is no ‘lamby’ aroma, nor fat.
The inbuilt spicing is tasty and everything in the mix is plant-based, made with non-GMO ingredients with no animal-based ingredients or by-products.
They also have koftas ready made. We tried these too, after carefully making sure they were properly shaped and solid after their journey through the shops.
They leach a fair bit of spicy oil and water into the pan, or onto your grill, and it is rather hard to tell when they are cooked, although of course unlike meat it doesn’t really matter. You just want them hot through and with a bit of colour.
We had them with couscous, feta cheese (not vegan) and some Harissa. Tres bon!
A range of ‘meats’ is available from Ocado and more info and recipes are on Redefine Meat’s website
Redefine Smashed Lamb Burger
The sharp -eyed will notice the picture uses a Hot Cross bun rather than a burger, this is optional!
Caper aioli, fennel slaw and watercress
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
Smashed Lamb burgers
250g Redefine Lamb kebab mince, defrosted
Olive / cooking oil
Salt & pepper
Caper Aioli
100ml vegan mayonnaise
1 lemon, zested & juiced
15ml dill chopped finely
30ml capers roughly chopped
Salt & pepper *if needed
Fennel Slaw
1 fennel bulb, finely sliced (keep the tops of the fennel to add to the slaw) *use a mandolin
60ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice
5ml mint, roughly chopped
5ml parsley, roughly chopped
Salt & pepper
Assemble
4 hot cross buns
30g watercress
Preparation
- Add mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, chopped dill and capers in a small mixing bowl. If needed, add a pinch of salt. Mix everything to prepare the sauce.
- In a large bowl, whisk together oil and lemon juice. Add sliced fennel, mint and parsley. Toss to coat, and rest for about 15 minutes to allow the fennel to wilt and the flavours to meld. Check the seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Add the lamb mince to a mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper, form into 4 even balls approx. 60-65g each.
- Pre-heat a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, add a splash of oil to the pan once hot. Add the lamb balls to the pan and using the back of a large spatula push down to form smashed patties. Allow to caramelise nicely (approx. 3 minutes per side – try avoiding turning to soon), turn then cook on the opposite side. Once cooked remove from the heat and allow to rest while you assemble the burgers.
- While the burgers are cooking halve the hot cross buns and gently toast in a toaster or under the oven grill. To assemble add a generous amount of the caper aioli to each side of the toasted buns, on the bottom of the bun, add water cress and the dressed fennel slaw, add the cooked smashed patty, finish with the top of the bun.
Redefine Shepherds Pie
Served with minted spring peas
Yield: 6 servings
Time: 1hr 30 mins
Difficulty: Moderate
Shepherd’s Pie
250g Redefine Lamb Kofta Mix, defrosted
120ml red wine
60ml olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 rosemary sprig
250ml tomato sauce / pasta base, store bought
1 vegetable stock, gel pack
5ml gravy browning
1 shortcrust pastry pack (vegan)
30ml soy cream / milk alternative
Minted Pea’s
450g spring peas / petit pois
60ml olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 fresh mint sprigs
Salt & pepper
Preparation
- Heat a large frying pan on a medium-high heat, once the pan is hot adding the oil. Then add the Redefine Lamb Kofta Mix. Allow to caramelise, working the mince to avoid the mince clumping (forming large chunks).
- Add the tomato sauce base, vegetable gel stock pot, browning gravy, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow the sauce base to reduce to desired consistency, remove from heat and check the seasoning.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Remove the dough from the fridge. Roll out ⅔ of the pastry on a lightly floured surface to twice the diameter of a 26cm round pie dish or baking tin, then place the dough into the tin and carefully push down into the corners of the tin evenly. Place the base in the fridge to chill. Roll the remaining pastry and cut out a piece slightly larger than your base, this will be the lid.
- Once the lamb base has cooled add to the chilled pie base, top with the pastry lid and crimp the sides to seal.
- Brush the top of the pie with soy cream, use a sharp knife make 2 holes in the centre of the pie and top with nigella seeds, cracked salt and pepper. Place into the pre-heated oven and bake for 20-30 mins, or until golden brown. Remove the pie from the oven and leave to stand for 10 mins before slicing.
- Add salt to a saucepan of water and bring it to a boil. Add the peas and mint sprig. Bring back to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until the peas are just tender.
- Drain the peas. Return them to the saucepan and toss them with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, freshly cracked salt and black pepper. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and garnish with chopped mint.
- To serve portion the pie and serve with a side of minted spring peas.