Lúnasa Farm is the dream of Cass and Nick McCarthy, a young family bringing their own style of wholehearted farming to County Clare, writes Dee Laffan. Photography Philip Doyle.
In just a few short years, and with two young children in tow (Finn aged 4 and Isla aged 2), Cass and Nick McCarthy have created not just a business with Lúnasa Farm, but a vibrant community and a blueprint for doing food better: organically, more sustainably and transparently and always with reverence for people, land and good health.
Nick and Cass raise their animals preciously and sell every part of the animal from nose to tail, so absolutely nothing is wasted. Traditional cuts of beef and pork are on offer alongside offal, fat, lard and bones, and they produce their own sausages, rashers, mince, burgers and charcuterie. You can even order a pig’s head, should you wish. If you live locally, you can pop into their shop to purchase in person, but if not, luckily, they deliver nationwide for purchases made through their online shop.
One of Lúnasa’s bestsellers is a humble-looking beef mince, elevated with a mix of heart, liver, kidney and spleen. “It adds a richness, but isn’t overpowering,” Cass says. “Parents especially love being able to get organs into their kids without any drama!”
For more, see lunasafarm.ie.
RECIPES
These mouth-watering dishes by Lúnasa Farm are crowd-pleasers. For more recipes click here.
Offal-y good smash burgers
Makes 2
Ingredients
- 500g Lúnasa Farm Beef and Organ Meat Mince
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Slices of mature white cheddar cheese
- 2 brioche burger buns
- 50g burger sauce (ketchup and mayo)
- ½ red onion, sliced thinly
- A few dill pickles, sliced thinly
- A few leaves of lettuce
Method
- Separate the mince into four portions and roll into balls. Place on a plate in the fridge until ready to use.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan over a medium-high heat. Place a meat ball on the pan and, using a grill press – a saucepan lid or large spatula will work here – press down to smash into large thin patties. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip and cook for another 4 minutes until cooked through. Do not move or flip the patties multiple times, as tempting as it is, this will affect the cooking process.
- Season the patty with salt and pepper.
- Two minutes before the end of cooking, top with the cheese slice and add a little water to the pan, cover with a lid and cook until the cheese has melted. This will happen quickly, less than a minute.
- Repeat process for each meat ball until you have four smashed burgers, two for each person.
- To assemble, toast the burger buns, add the burger sauce, onion slices and lettuce. Top with the smashed burgers and the top of the bun.
- Tip: Cass also suggests topping your burger with Gouda, caramelised onion relish, crunchy lettuce and a mix of seeded mustard and mayo.
Pasta soup with Italian pasture-raised meatballs
Serves 4
“A simple and nourishing soup using our Italian pasture-raised pork meatballs. We recommend making a double batch so that you can enjoy some for lunch the next day.”
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 250g Lúnasa Farm Italian pork meatballs, crumbled
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 litre chicken stock or bone broth
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 80g soup pasta such as fregola or orzo
- 1 tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups baby spinach or a small bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
Method:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the crumbled meatballs and fry until browned (about 5 minutes), adding the fennel seeds and chilli in the last minute of cooking. Remove from the saucepan and place to the side.
- Using the same pan, sauté celery, onion, carrot and garlic in the remaining olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just golden (5-7 minutes).
- Add the meatballs back to the pan along with stock, tomatoes, rosemary and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add the pasta, stirring to stop it sticking together, and simmer until it is al dente, adding the cannellini beans and spinach in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
- Season to taste, divide among bowls, scatter with parmesan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
The full feature on Lúnasa Farm appeared in the November 2025 issue of Irish Country Magazine. Subscribe here to never miss an issue.
