Meatloaf for the Manly Man

 

After a nice sensitive meal for Valentine's Day it's time to ramp it up with some meatloaf. Not ground beef loaf, not "oh lets eat healthy today" turkey loaf. Meat loaf, ground beef, ground pork and bacon. Three pillars of strength for omnivores everywhere. This is a dense full flavored loaf that you can modify to suit your primordial urge. Celery, carrots, hot sauce, even sauteed chicken livers are acceptable. Euro's like to put whole hard boiled eggs in meatloaf. Why?

Meatloaf is a modern invention, no recipes exist before the very late 1800's. Meatgrinders are a product of the great Industrial Revolution and helped raw ground meat become a household staple. I wonder what classic comfort food will come from these historic times? Wall Street Waffles, now with extra holes. The Titanic Sandwich. It will stay afloat as long as it gets a big bailout?

 who's bastin' the bacon? i'm bastin the bacon. will you baste the bacon?

Set oven to 375 degrees 90 minutes total time 30 minutes active time serves 4 as a meal. Cost less than $12.00

You will need a small and a medium sized steel bowl, microplaner, food processor and a roasting pan

• 12 ounces ground pork, your local grocery store's meat man will grind you some if you ask.
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion diced fine
• 1 small green pepper, peeled* and small dice
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed and mashed beyond recognition
• 1 ounce by weight good parmesean cheese grated on microplaner
• 2 ounces by weight of soft bread or roll. Use the nutrional info on the bag to help determine the weight if you have no scale
• 2 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tablespoon ketchup
• 1 egg fresh, free range, local, delivered in carbon neutral vehicle hand picked by a union worker making a living wage
• 1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, dry marjoram, dry tarragon
• 3 slices bacon

* peeling a green pepper with a sharp peeler is better, period.

Dice up the bread or roll

Crack the egg in the small bowl, add the worcestershire sauce and ketchup to the egg

Add the bread into the egg mixture

Sweat the onion and pepper in a little oil until translucent

Add the garlic to the onions

Put both ground meats in other bowl,

Add herbs, add cheese, add onions and peppers

Put the bread mixture in food processor and pulse a few times

Add bread mixture to ground meat and mix really well. You can use a stand mixer with a paddle if you have one

Shape meat into a loaf and top with a few slices of bacon

Add about 1/2 inch of water to the roasting pan. That's right, water in the pan, do not skip this step.

Unless you like a drier loaf with crisp carmalized crust like the second photo. If thats the case skip all the basting instructions.

In the oven and set timer for 20 minutes

Timer goes ding, baste the loaf like the fine roast it is

Back in the oven, on goes the timer for another 20

Timer goes ding and baste again

Repeat the 20 minute cycle one more time. Do not throw away the basting liquid

After an hour check to see if it's done, it should feel firm and juices should run clear while it rests on a warm platter.

Advanced Cooks Only

You can make bacon  and onion gravy with this recipe! Remove the bacon from the loaf, eat just a little piece, then dice up the rest and into a saute pan over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Add 1/2 a small onion thinly sliced and cook until soft. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of flour over the bacon onion mixture and mix well. Add the basting liquid and a cup of chicken stock or water and let simmer. Adjust the liquid by reducing until it thickens or add a little water and salt to thin. Taste and adjust.

Super Advanced Cooks Only

Add a teaspoon of strong mustard or horseradish to the sauce (squeeze the juice out of the horseradish first)

Jaques Pepin, Julia Childs,Thomas Keller, Tyler Lewis etc Only!

Add 2 Tablespoons of sour cream, heavy cream or creme fraiche to the sauce

Comments

[Meaghan]

Dad would like this!