Classic Meat Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 cup of finely chopped onion
• 1 celery rib, chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 carrot, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped scallion (can substitute onion)
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tsp salt (use 1 1/2 teas if using Italian sausage)
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp Worscestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1 1/2 pounds of ground chuck
• 3/4 pound of spicy ground pork sausage* (or use Italian sausage - 1 sweet, 1 hot)
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, beaten slightly
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

*Note: many versions of meatloaf call for ground veal as well. You might want to experiment with a third each of beef, pork, and veal. If you don't have access to spicy ground pork or Italian sausage, add a pinch of fennel seeds and a half teaspoon of hot sauce to regular ground pork.

Method

Italian sausages.

Click on photo for a larger view.

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2 In a large heavy skillet cook the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and scallion in butter, over moderate heat, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Cover and stir occassionally until the carrots are tender, about 5 more minutes. Stir in salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/3 a cup of ketchup. Cook for 1 more minute.

3 In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, bread crumbs, vegetables, and parsley. Form into a loaf and put into a retangular baking pan with 2 inch high sides. Cover loaf with remaining ketchup.

4 Bake meat loaf in oven for 1 hour.

Serves 4 to 6.