SEAT OF MY SOUL

I know, I know…no longer must we coat our arteries with all the bad things and most importantly, no longer must we eat meatloaf!  I have tried many variations over the years but this one will fill your soul and is truly juicy and succulent.  It is winter here in Australia and I can think of nothing better for a lazy Sunday night.  I normally do the preparations in the morning and leave it in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup, plus 1/4 cup
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream
• 2/3 cup Breadcrumbs
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1/2 pound pork sausage
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons plus 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices bacon, cut in half
• 2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup canned tomatoes, chopped or crushed

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large skillet heat the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Add all but 1/4 cup of the onions, the celery and all but 2 tablespoons of the bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to caramelize around the edges, about 6 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the garlic, the thyme, rosemary, and parsley and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the vegetable mixture is cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl and add the eggs, mustard, 1/4 cup of the ketchup, 1 teaspoon of the Worcestershire sauce, and heavy cream and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the breadcrumbs, ground chuck, pork sausage, ground veal, 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Transfer meat mixture to a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan and using your hands, form mixture into a loaf shape. Arrange the slices of bacon on the top of the meatloaf and set aside.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped onion, remaining 2 tablespoons of green pepper, remaining teaspoon of garlic, remaining 1/2 cup of ketchup, remaining 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, remaining 2 teaspoons of pepper, vinegar, and canned tomatoes and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the uncooked meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the bacon and sauce are slightly caramelized on the top of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with aluminium foil. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

The leftovers can be used on sandwiches the next day!!  (Forget about your arteries just once and walk it off the next day!)  Enjoy!

This entry was posted on June 13, 2010 at 7:40 am and is filed under Uncategorized with tags ground veal, juicy, Meatloaf, pork sausage, recipe. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.