Meatloaf

This is the all-American version of a terrine or pate, but it’s far more forgiving than all that, and I don’t generally cook it in any sort of mold – just form it into a log and put it on cookie sheet. There are as many variations as you want to try, and I’ve by no means tried them all…but I have created a string cheese log in the center and I have wrapped it in bacon and I have done a few other silly things. I’m not saying the preparation below is the way I like best, just that it’s a good base recipe for further experimentation.

This is roughly the same recipe as the meatballs – and you want to treat the meat the same. Unlike hamburgers, where minimal mixing is required for a healthy crumble, in this case, you want to whip everything together so that it’s homogenous, which will result in a nicely formed loaf.

Ingredients:

• ½ pound each ground beef, veal, pork
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup milk (or heavy cream)
• 4 oz parmiggiano reggiano, finely grated
• 1 cup panko
• 1 TBS each dried basil, oregano, thyme
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ cup bbq sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Mix all ingredients except bbq sauce thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. As you do so, it will turn slightly sticky and lighten somewhat in color. You can feel free to use the heel of your hand to really knead it together so it is very well mixed, but don’t go crazy ok? You still want this to have crumble, not be bologna.

Form in a log on a greased cookie sheet or on parchment paper. Brush with a thin layer of bbq sauce all over and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until done. You may brush several more times throughout if you desire.

Let cool and serve with mashed potatoes and gravy while humming our national anthem.