Sage in meat rejected by a European sending starter back (9)
I believe the answer is:
maharishi
'sage' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
(Other definitions for maharishi that I've seen before include "Hindu sage and scholar" , "Religious leader" , "Spiritual teacher" , "Teacher of Hindu mysticism" , "leading teacher" .)