Jamie and Jimmy are carrying on the fight against food waste in their new Friday Night Feast TV series, this time by embracing the incredible UK produce that usually gets binned, or just outright ignored.
This week, they focus on kid meat. While female goats have long been reared in the UK for milk and cheese, male kids are routinely sent straight for the slaughterhouse, their meat deemed worthless for the UK market (read more on that here).
Commonly eaten in Greece, Africa and some small rural communities across Asia, goat is a rarity in British cuisine. But as Jamie and Jimmy investigate, with its sweet, delicate flavour, kid meat is an unsung and brilliant alternative to other meats – tender and delicious, it’s also low in saturated fat and a great, lean source of protein.
Try switching beef or chicken for kid next time you're making kebab skewers
Luckily, some small farmers are beginning to see the benefits of rearing goats, taking unwanted male kids from the dairy industry to raise and sell, and kid meat is becoming increasingly available to buy. Try it for yourself in this delicious kid burger, or swap lamb for kid next time you’re making kebab skewers or this amazing lamb rack recipe. Just make sure you keep an eye on it – kid is more delicate than lamb so it cooks much quicker.
KID BURGER
For an indulgent treat, grate some cheese over the burgers at the end of cooking, then pop under the grill to melt.
Serves 4
800g higher-welfare kid leg or shoulder
2 slices of higher-welfare lardo or pancetta
1 small red onion
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 sprigs of fresh mint
2 tablespoons fat-free natural yogurt
1 lemon
1 teaspoon English mustard
extra virgin olive oil
1 eating apple
200g watercress
olive oil
4 burger buns
Trim the kid of any sinew, then cut into rough chunks. Roughly chop the lardo or pancetta, then place all the meat in a food processor with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
Pulse until finely chopped, keeping a bit of texture, then divide and shape into 4 equal-sized patties. Place on a piece of greaseproof paper until you’re ready to cook.
Place a frying pan or griddle over a medium-high heat to get screaming hot.
Meanwhile, peel and very finely slice the onion into rounds, ideally using a mandolin (use the guard!), then place into a bowl with 1 pinch of salt and the vinegar. Scrunch with your hands, then set aside.
Pick and finely chop the mint leaves, then combine with the yoghurt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste.
Mix together the mustard, remaining lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large bowl, then season to taste. Very finely slice the apple on a mandolin (use the guard!), then place into the lemony dressing to prevent it from colouring. Pick the watercress on top, ready to toss together at the last minute.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the burgers, then carefully place in the hot pan. Cook for around 4 minutes on each side for slightly blushing meat, or to your liking, turning every minute or so.
Remove the burgers to a board to rest while you halve the buns and toast in the hot pan for a minute or so.
Toss and spoon the zingy apple and watercress salad on the burger bases, add a dollop of the mint yoghurt, then place the kid burgers on top. Finish with the red onion pickle, pop the lid on top, then serve with extra pickles, if you like.