This meatloaf - rich with vegetables, savory spices, and fresh bread crumbs, and three kinds of meat - is a favorite in our house, and is taken from Julee Rosso’s “Silver Palate Cookbook” and is apparently a rather famous dish from the 72 Market St. restaurant in Venice, CA (a Google search for this recipe yields lots of hits).

It is a somewhat labor-intensive dish if you’re in a hurry, but if you have the time to make the loaf ahead of time (even a day ahead) and cook it when you’re ready, it is definitely worth the effort. Based on the reviews on other sites, I’m not alone in my estimation.

This recipe makes two medium-sized loaves. I like to eat one and freeze the other. The leftovers are fabulous.

Items

  • 3 Tb unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup finely-chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup chopped scallions, white bulb and three inches green (the bottom part)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
  • 2-3 tsp minced garlic
  • salt (to taste, at least 1 tsp)
  • 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp freshly-grated nutmeg
  • 3 eggs, well-beaten
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup cream or half-and-half
  • 1 lb ground chuck, 1 lb ground veal, and 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs, toasted

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a large sautée pan over medium heat, and cook the veggies and aromatics (everything up to and including the garlic) until most of the moisture is evaporated, around 10 minutes. The point here is to cook the veggies and get rid of their extra moisture.
  2. Remove from the heat, place in a medium-size bowl, and stash in the freezer to cool down rapidly, at least 10 minutes. You can do this while you’re working on the rest of the dish. Maybe now is the time to make a gin and tonic?
  3. In a large bowl (big enough to hold the meat and knead it), beat the eggs with the spices, cream, and ketchup until well-combined.
  4. Place the meat on top, along with the bread crumbs and cooled veggies. With your hands knead everything together, about five minutes. If at the end of the kneading the mixture seems a little loose, add some more bread crumbs. If desired, top with more ketchup, or ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Divide and place into two 8-inch loaf pans. Set in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375F. Place each of the loaf pans in a larger baking dish, and fill the larger baking dish with an inch or so of water. Place both on the middle rack of your oven.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes, swapping and rotating the loaf pans about half way through baking to ensure even cooking. Rest for 15 minutes or so before slicing and serving.

Serves a bunch (10 good-sized slices per loaf, or 20 slices total)

Meatloaf Gravy:  By the way, the drippings (which were rather modest in volume based on the lean meat I bought) make a wonderful gravy.  Once the loaves have rested, remove them from their pans and pour the drippings in a saucepan with a cup or so of stock, broth, milk, or even water.  Bring to a boil, and add 1 cup of cold milk with 2 Tbsp cornstarch mixed in (just mix it in with a fork before adding to the hot liquid).  Turn the heat down to low and cook 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.  Delicious!