Nan's dinner, back where it belongs — piled on thick buttered toast
Some dinners don't need reinventing. Savoury mince kept half of Australia fed for the best part of a century — mince, onion, carrot, a good slosh of Worcestershire and a handful of peas, simmered until it makes its own gravy, then spooned over thick buttered toast. It was the after-footy-training dinner of my childhood, and it disappears just as fast today. Twenty-eight minutes, one pan, and made with grass-fed lamb it comes out richer than the beef version Nan used to make. She'd approve, I reckon.
Ingredients
- 480g Your Farmer grass-fed lamb mince
- 1 brown onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 375ml beef stock
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt and pepper to season
- 4 thick slices white bread or sourdough, toasted and buttered, to serve
Instructions
Set a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mince and cook for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up as it browns — no oil needed, its own fat will render out.
480g lamb minceAdd the onion and carrot and cook in that fat for 4–5 minutes until softened.
1 onion1 carrotStir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
1 tbsp plain flourPour in the stock, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until thick and gravy-like.
375ml beef stock1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce1 tbsp tomato sauceStir through the peas for the last 2 minutes, then season to taste.
1 cup frozen peasSpoon generously over hot buttered toast and serve straight away.
4 slices toastAppears in
In every lamb share — Mince (approx 480g)
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The Dinner Australia Ran On
Savoury mince is what thrift tasted like in the best Australian kitchens — a pan of mince stretched with vegetables and gravy until it fed everyone at the table. Making it with lamb instead of beef isn't a modern cheffy twist; plenty of households did exactly that, and lamb arguably does it better. The grass-fed lamb mince in your Your Farmer® lamb share renders enough of its own fat to cook the onion and carrot in — which is why this recipe doesn't need a drop of oil, and why the gravy ends up tasting properly of lamb rather than of stock cube. Ours is minced from whole-animal trim off the same pastured lambs as your chops and roasts — one animal, nothing wasted — so the flavour holds its own even under a good slosh of Worcestershire.
Two small things make the difference between good and great here. Brown the mince hard before the vegetables go in — colour is flavour. And give the flour its full minute of cooking so the gravy thickens silky instead of pasty.
Swaps and Variations
- Curried mince: stir 2 teaspoons of curry powder in with the softened onion and you've made the other great Australian nostalgia dinner.
- Beef mince: the original — add a splash of olive oil at the start, as beef mince runs leaner. If you like this instinct in pie form, our beef cottage pie is the same idea grown up.
- Over mash or jackets: skip the toast and spoon it over mashed potato or a split baked spud.
- Hide extra veg: grated zucchini or a handful of corn disappear into the gravy without complaint.
Storage and Leftovers
Savoury mince keeps 3 days in the fridge and, like most simmered things, honestly tastes better on day two. It freezes for up to 3 months — portion it flat in freezer bags so it thaws quickly. Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the gravy. And the finest leftover use known to this country: jaffle filling. Buttered bread, cold savoury mince, jaffle iron. Thank me later.
Reserve your share and there's a pack of lamb mince in every box — Tuesday night, solved for good.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my savoury mince watery?
Can I use chicken stock instead of beef stock?
Does savoury mince freeze well?
Can I make it in advance for the week?
What bread works best?
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