A meat feast with meals anyone can make

Most have become a dab hand in the kitchen in the past six months. However, can mere mortals do as good a job as professional chefs?

I admit to being sceptical that the #honestathome burger kit could taste as good as the real restaurant experience.

Pouring over the step-by-step instructions, each one was followed diligently but I needn’t have
bothered.

Even if you’re the sort of cook that burns toast, it’s impossible not to create a beauty of a juicy burger with this hamper of goodies.

Beautifully presented in a green cloth bag, the core ingredients are simply superb.

Chopped British chuck steak and rib cap patties are at the centre of it all, with just enough fat for succulence but not greasy at all.

My favourite ingredient was dry cured smoky bacon – thickly cut, salty and sweet, with an
aroma, which was grilled, while the patty was pan fried.

Red onion relish, pickled cucumbers and mild cheddar cheese piled high topped off the most delicious tower encased in a brioche bun.

Everything you need is included, barring a few salad leaves.

The kit serves four and is available to order online for £30. https://www.honestburgers.co.uk/news/honest-at-home-diy-burger-kit/

Little surprise that the popularity of meat ordered directly from farms has increased in recent times.

Here are three that are doing things a bit differently:

It’s been said that staying in is the new going out. Those looking for a little help to create the
ultimate night in for two might benefit from a ‘Date Night Steak Night’ box from Darts Farm.

Inside is: a 40-day hung 8oz fillet and 10oz sirloin steaks and veg from the Devon farm and some of the finest West Country producers.

Accompanying vegetables include courgettes, vine tomatoes, new potatoes, king oyster mushroom, a bulb of garlic and a rich three peppercorn and brandy sauce.

Not forgetting a few fresh sprigs of Rosemary…the herb’s pine flavour makes it a wonderful
pairing to beef.

There’s also an online guide to cooking steak, as well as tips for a choice of wine pairing – pinot noir and barbera are two of the recommended options. www.dartsfarm.co.uk

North Norfolk-based Morton’s Family Farm offers monthly-changing meat boxes full to the brim with award-winning, free range and outdoor reared meats.

Morton’s specialises in slow-growing, small batches of livestock, which helps maintain the welfare of each animal, ensuring they are happy and healthy throughout their lifetimes.

It raises award-winning selection of free-range chickens and turkeys, pasture-fed Jacob lamb and Mangalitza pigs, a rare-breed that is raised outdoors and free to roam, leading to greater hog happiness. Customers will taste flavours that are rarely found elsewhere for a superb field-to-table experience.

For those who like to try a bit of everything, BBQ Essentials Box, includes: premium steak burgers, artisan pork burgers, chicken sausages, piri piri spatchcock chicken, smoked back bacon and minute steaks. https://www.mortonsfarm.co.uk

Coombe Farm produces Soil Association-certified meat on its beautiful Somerset estate but delivers nationwide.

All the award winning meat, from the grass-fed beef and lamb to free range pork and chicken is locally reared and slaughtered, skilfully trimmed by their own butchers and is full of flavour.

Organic farming practices and nose-to-tail philosophy reduces waste – taking what would traditionally be seen as a waste product, and creating meat from its retired dairy herd.  It claims to be the only UK farm in the UK doing this.

The Organic Barbecue Box is packed full of tempting treats, to make the most of outdoor dining before winter sets in. Jazz up with marinades and sauces or just let their natural flavour speak for itself. The box includes: sirloin steak, chicken breast, chicken wings, diced lamb, beef burgers, pork and apple sausages and beef mince. https://www.coombefarmorganic.co.uk/

It’s impossible to fight the urge for kids to smother everything in ketchup. If they’re going to eat it, it might as well be the good stuff. Real Good Ketchup is 100% natural, with no added sugar. It’s the ideal swap for the big brand, high sugar sauces.

Made in small batches in a nut-free environment, Real Good Ketchup is produced using tasty Mediterranean tomatoes for an irresistibly rich tomato flavour. It’s also vegan, allergen-free and free from artificial flavours and preservatives, with 75% less sugar and 78% less salt than the market leader and contains only naturally-occurring sugars.

Real Good Ketchup’s Big Squeezy 700g bottle is available from major supermarkets at £2.99.