Meat Loaf
Meat loaf is best when made from freshly ground meat. You can grind it yourself using an electric or hand-cranked meat grinder, or ask your butcher to grind the meat fresh for you. If ground veal is not available, use more pork or beef.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 or 4 slices white bread
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 lb. ground beef chuck
- 1/2 lb. ground pork shoulder or butt
- 1/2 lb. ground veal shoulder or leg
- 8 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup ketchup
Directions
Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 350º F.
In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
Tear the bread slices into small pieces, transfer to a food processor and pulverize the bread into crumbs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk, stir until blended and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the onion-celery mixture to the bread mixture and stir until blended. Add the beef, pork, veal, tomato sauce, egg, salt and pepper and fold together gently until blended. Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2-lb. loaf pan and, using your hands, shape the mixture into an oblong loaf. Spread the ketchup evenly over the top. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat loaf registers 165ºF, about 1 1/2 hours.
In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
Tear the bread slices into small pieces, transfer to a food processor and pulverize the bread into crumbs. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk, stir until blended and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the onion-celery mixture to the bread mixture and stir until blended. Add the beef, pork, veal, tomato sauce, egg, salt and pepper and fold together gently until blended. Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2-lb. loaf pan and, using your hands, shape the mixture into an oblong loaf. Spread the ketchup evenly over the top. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat loaf registers 165ºF, about 1 1/2 hours.
Serves 4 to 6.