"I really don't know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea." (JFK's 1962 America's Cup Speech). Now that my photography class has ended I feel like taking a short trip somewhere. Any somewhere with beautiful landscapes I have yet to photograph will do. For once I am not particularly fussy although my preference would be to take a relatively short road trip to a place with water nearby. Whether it be an ocean, a lake, a river, or a stream, there is something both energizing and calming about being near, seeing, or listening to the sound of a body of water. Years ago while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) I went on a trail ending with one of the clearest, calmest and refreshingly coolest lakes nestled in the mountains. Considering it wasn't necessarily the easiest of hikes (for me that is), the sight of the lake could not have been the more perfect reward. Whether I was suffering from elevation delirium or not, I just remember this lake being one of the most beautiful I had ever seen. I subsequently learned the lake was named after Enos Mills, a man referred to as the 'father of Rocky Mountain National Park'. So if you are ever up in RMNP, consider hiking the trail to Mills Lake. I promise you will find the views breathtaking.
I learned the hard way the importance of bringing food and water on a hike. It only takes one experience underestimating just how thirsty and hungry you get acclimating to a higher elevation and expending a significant amount of energy to never go on a hike without water or food again. My ravenous cravings almost always lean toward comfort foods.
Speaking of comfort food, this is not your mother's meatloaf (apologies to those of you whose mother made a meatloaf so insanely delicious you thought twice about moving out). This is not the kind of meatloaf you need to smother in ketchup for flavor and moisture (no apologies to those of you who smother everything in ketchup). Rather, this is a meatloaf self-professed meatloaf connoisseurs would proclaim as throw down worthy. Comfort food never tasted this good.
Finely chopped onions, garlic, carrots and celery sautéed in butter make just about everything they go into taste better.
Bread and eggs are the binders in this meatloaf. Two slices of day old hearty white sandwich bread torn into pieces are soaked in whole milk. Rather than process the bread into crumbs in a food processor, I simply tore them into pieces. The bread soaks while you are sautéing the vegetables.
The original Gourmet recipe called for the use of ground beef chuck. Not that there is anything wrong with ground chuck, but this is the kind of meatloaf beckoning you to use ground sirloin. The addition of bacon and ground pork provide more than enough 'fat', so the meatloaf significantly benefits from the flavor ground sirloin brings to it.
The most unusual or atypical ingredient in this meatloaf are the dried prunes. No eye rolling or throwing shade allowed. Don't even think of omitting them. Don't even think of replacing them with any other dried fruit. I chopped both the prunes and bacon with a knife, however, you could chop them up in a food processor.
The spices in this meatloaf are kosher salt, black pepper and allspice. The one change I might consider making is reducing the salt from two teaspoons to one and a half teaspoons. Again I say 'might' because the meatloaf was not overly salty, but everyone views salty a little differently.
All of the ingredients are mixed together until well blended, shaped into a loaf, and placed on either a sheet pan or in a large oval cast iron pan. The length and width of your meatloaf will affect its' baking time. A longer, thinner loaf will cooker faster than the the thicker, wider loaf. Baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven, the meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees. My meatloaf was done in slightly less than an hour, however, baking times could range from 55 to 75 minutes.
The bacon on this meatloaf was cooked separately and not 'cooked' on top of the meatloaf in the oven. It is an optional garnish although it serves as a prelude to one of the flavors in the meatloaf. And remember, we just happen to be living in the 'everything is better with bacon' decade.
This meatloaf is delicious enjoyed warm out of the oven (with mashed potatoes of course) or cold (on a sandwich made with white bread and some mayonnaise). It is one of those meatloaves you might go so far as to declare as the 'best' you ever had. If you are going on a long, strenuous hike, your body will thank you for bringing a sandwich made with this meatloaf. And considering the groundhog saw his shadow, the next six weeks have comfort food written all over them. A blizzard might be the only thing preventing you from making this meatloaf, unless of course you had bought all of the ingredients in anticipation of being homebound for a couple of days.
Meatloaf (inspired by Gourmet's February 2008 Meatloaf recipe)
Ingredients
1 cup torn bread pieces (from approximately 2 slices homestyle white sandwich bread)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium sized celery stalk, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons of kosher salt (could reduce to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/4 pound of bacon, finely chopped
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1/2 pound ground pork (not lean)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Optional: 3-4 slices cooked bacon for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
2. In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. Set aside.
3. In a large heavy skillet, sauté onion, garlic, celery and carrots over medium heat, stirring occasionally (approximately 5 minutes). Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until carrots are tender (an additional 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat.
4. Stir in Worchestershire sauce, cider vinegar, allspice, pepper, and salt to cooked vegetables. Stir to combine. Add to the bread/milk mixture.
5. Add chopped bacon, chopped prunes, eggs, beef, pork and parsley. Mix together with hands until well combined.
6. Pack into a 10"x 5" slightly oval loaf in a shallow baking cast iron baking dish.
7. Bake for approximately 55-75 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees (F). Note: Baking time will be affected by length/width of loaf. Shorter baking time for a longer/thinner loaf and a slightly longer time for a shorter/thicker loaf.
8. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cooked bacon slices.
Note: Serve warm with mashed potatoes or serve cold on white bread and a schmear of mayonnaise.
Backyard images from the winter blizzard.
