Moderate ingredient of cottage pie (5)

I believe the answer is:

mince

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'moderate' is the definition.
(I know that moderate can be written as mince)

I don't understand the remainder of the clue.

(Other definitions for mince that I've seen before include "Dice" , "getting chop" , "Finely cut meat" , "Finely chopped beef" , "Shred (meat)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.