Serves 6
Do not over-mix. Combine just enough to get into shape. Best, use combination of meat.
Only use fresh breadcrumbs. For moist loaf, use fresh vegetables.
Cooking loaf free-form makes a flavourful roasted crust.
3 slices fresh bread (white)
1 large carrot, cut into ¼? thick rounds
1 celery stalk, cut into ½? pieces
½ med yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley
½ cup, please 4tbl ketchup
3tbl dry mustard
250g each ground pork, ground veal, ground beef
2 large eggs, beaten
2tsp kosher salt
1tsp freshly ground black pepper
1tsp hot red-pepper sauce, or to taste
½ tsp chopped Rosemary, plus more for sprinkling
2tbl packed dark brown sugar
1tbl olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into ¼? thick rings
Preheat oven 400F. Remove crusts from bread.
Place in food processor. When fine crumbs form, about 10 seconds, transfer to a mixing bowl.
(Do not use dried crumbs, they will make meat loaf rubbery). Place carrot, celery, yellow onion,
garlic and parsley in bowl of food processor. Mix until vegetables are minced, about 30 seconds,
scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
Transfer to bowl with breadcrumbs. Add ½ cup ketchup, 2tsp dry mustard, pork, veal, beef, eggs,
salt, pepper, hot sauce, rosemary. Using your hands, knead the ingredients JUST until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Do not over-knead. This will result in a heavy, dense loaf. The texture should be wet, but tight enough to hold a free form shape. Set a wire baking rack in a 12x17? baking pan. Cut 5x11? piece of baking paper and place over the centre of the rack to prevent the meat loaf from falling through. Using your hands, form an elongated loaf covering the baking paper. Place the remaining ketchup, remaining mustard and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the glaze over the loaf. Place the oil in med saucepan, set over high heat. When the oil is smoking, add the red onion.
Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft and golden in places. Add 4½tbl water and cook,
stirring until most of the water has evaporated. Transfer the onion to a bowl to cool slightly, then
sprinkle the onion over the meat loaf. Bake 30mins, then sprinkle rosemary needles on top. Continue
baking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centre of the loaf registers 160F, about
25 mins more. Let the meat loaf cool n the rack, 15mins. Serve.
Submitted by Dale H
