My experience with meatloaves have often been disappointing. They have been heavy, ketchup soaked affairs reminiscent of overcooked burgers. I could never see the point.This evening we happened to have three different kinds of ground meat in the fridge - 4 lbs altogether. I felt compelled to try and make a better, more grown up kind of meat loaf and I am happy to say I succeeded! This is a light, moist meatloaf full of flavor. It was absolutely delicious with a pile of buttery mash and a bottle of unfiltered, wheat beer.
I used roughly equal quantities of turkey, pork and beef but you can use anything as long as you use two or preferably three kinds of meat. It really does make a difference to use several kinds of meat. For every pound of meat add the following - doubling, trebling, quadrupling the quantities for two, three or four pounds of meat.
1 smallish/medium onion - finely chopped
2 sticks of celery (including the leafy tops)- finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic - chopped
1 small zucchini - grated
1 tbsp oil
1/4 cup of chopped parsley
1/2 cup matzo meal (or breadcrumbs or crackers)
1/2 cup yogurt
1 egg
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Coleman's mustard powder (optional)
1 tsp dried thyme or any other dried herbs (or a tbsp of fresh)
Melt the onions and garlic in the oil on a medium heat for 10 minutes or so - until they are transparent (be careful not to brown them). Add the celery and the zucchini and saute for another 5-10 minutes.
Throw all ingredients into a big bowl or pot and with clean hands schmoosh everything until they are all fully mixed ... until the meat and sauteed veggies and all dry and wet ingredients are all fully incorporated.
Form into a tidy mound on a greased aluminium sheet on a baking sheet.
Pour 1/2-1 cup of pasta sauce ... I used a spicy Siciliana sauce.
Bake at 350 degrees until 160 degrees (about an hour) then let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
While the loaf was cooking I made a sauce with the rest of the jar of Siciliana sauce, half a jar of Bonesuckin' Sauce and some Worcestershire sauce, simmering it until it reduced and thickened. If you don't have Bonsucking sauce to hand then you can use any other bar-b-q sauce on your pantry shelf!
