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Old 08-03-2004, 05:37 AM
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RevDahlia RevDahlia is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Posts: CMXLVIII
Default Re: What's for Dinner?

I have done it. I have finally conquered meatloaf. I love meatloaf, and have eaten many delicious meatloaves in my day, none of them made by me. My meatloaves have always been sad and pallid and slightly junior-high-cafeteria-tasting, until tonight.

Here is my recipe for the ur-meatloaf. It is kind of fussy, but so worth it.

Wild Mushroom Meatloaf chez Rev, with Gravy

Makes two meatloaves, one to make right away and one to freeze, cook and eat later.

You need:

3 lbs 15% fat lean ground beef
1 styrofoam container white mushrooms
1 1 oz package mixed dried wild mushrooms (I use Santini Chef's Choice brand, available for a pittance at Trader Joe's )
3 tbsps butter
1 very large white onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1" thick slice artisan levain, crust removed
3/4c milk
1 large egg
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp Heinz ketchup, plus more for spreading on finished loaf
S&P
1 wineglassful dry white wine
1 beef bouillion cube
2 tbsps flour

Rinse dried mushrooms well. Place them in a small bowl and cover with about 2 cups hot water. Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat egg with fork until white and yolk are incorporated. Then beat in milk and add the slice of bread. Mash it with fork until it absorbs all the yolk-and-egg mixture.

In heavy skillet heat 2 tbsps butter over medium-high heat. In food processor, blitz half the onion until it is finely chopped. Set aside. Then blitz the white mushrooms until they are also finely chopped. Saute chopped mushrooms and onion in skillet until onion is translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Set aside.

Remove wild mushrooms from soaking liquid and squeeze out well. Place reserved soaking liquid in a small saucepan with bouillion cube and bring to a boil. Cook mixture until it is reduced by 2/3. Remove from heat and set aside. Blitz soaked mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped.

Preheat oven to 350.

Place onion-mushroom-and-garlic mixture, and wild mushrooms, in a large bowl. Add bread-egg-and-milk mush, thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire and ketchup. Stir well to combine. Add meat, plus salt and pepper to taste, and mix with your hands until all is incorporated. Place half of meat mixture in a baking dish and make into a loaf shape, then cover with a thin layer of ketchup. Place in oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hrs or until internal temperature of meat reaches 150. (Place other half of meat mixture into a spare baking dish. Shape into a loaf. Cover with plastic wrap, then tinfoil, and freeze for up to 2 months.)

Meanwhile, start to make gravy.

Rinse out the same skillet you used to saute the mushrooms and onions and add 2 tbsps butter. Melt over low heat. Chop remaining half onion and add to melted butter. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until onion is caramelized.

When meatloaf comes out of oven, set it aside. Spoon out drippings from around meatloaf and add them to skillet with the onions. Turn heat under skillet to medium-high and add flour. Stir and cook flour-and-drippings for 3 minutes, then add white wine and mushroom liquid, and a pinch of dried thyme. Cook until gravy is thickened. Serve with sliced meatloaf.

We ate this with steamed broccoli and my husband's righteous mashed potatoes, and it was worth the work. Also quite economical.

(You don't need to defrost the frozen meatloaf; just preheat oven to 350 and pop that sucker in there, then cook until loaf is done.)
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