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“Is this going to fit?” Suzen waved her hand at me, a hand encased in a rubber glove coated with round meat. Lots and lots of ground meat.

I held up the 9X5 inch loaf pan she had prepared, moved it over the bowl, and shook my head. “If you try to put all that in this,” I wiggled the pan, “you are going to have one heck of a mess to clean up.”

“Get another pan,” she sighed. I did, we made this recipe in two pans, not one. The pans were a tad under filled, but one pan would have been an experience to remember. The pan issue is the only little flaw in this otherwise exceptional recipe.

I posted a review of Meat by Pat LaFrieda yesterday and said this was the first recipe we tried from the book. Why meatloaf in book rich in roasts and steaks? Well, first this is such a very pretty dish. The four meats form a rainbow. [I think this should be called Rainbow Meatloaf, not merely Four-Meat Meatloaf.

How many times have you made meatloaf? I’m from a middle class Irish-British-American family and grew up in the 1950s. Meatloaf was my middle name. To me, the color red is defined as the Heinz ketchup baked on top of the meatloaf. Looked pretty, tasted prettier.

With a ton of meatloaves under my belt, it is wonderful to say that this meatloaf is the best. Best ever. It’s such a rich amalgam of meats and egg and cheese, so perfectly seasoned, that I cannot imagine how to improve it. These meat layers — one each of beef, pork, lamb, and veal — are separated by deep layers of mozzarella, pecorino, and parsley. This is really a meat-cheese loaf and it’s a concept I wish I’d had many meatloaves ago. No matter. I know now how to change meatloaf from “that meal” to “THAT meal.”

I really encourage you to give this a try. Of course, you should pair this with a baked potato, oozing with butter and sour cream and chives. Plus a beer. A really good beer because this is a really good, actually great meatloaf.

By the way, here's the link to the cookbook review for Meat:

https://cookingbythebook.com//cookbook-reviews/cookbook-review-meat-by-pat-lafrieda/

 


Four-Meat Meatloaf

Yield: 2 9X5 inch loaf pans

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups finely chopped yellow onion (about 2 medium)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 6 ounces; not fresh mozzarella)
  • 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 4 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 pound chopped (ground) beef
  • 1 pound chopped (ground) pork
  • 1 pound chopped (ground) lamb
  • 1 pound chopped (ground) veal
  • ½ cup Italian-Style Breadcrumbs
  • 4 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • ¾ cup tomato sauce, homemade or store-bought

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it slides easily in the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender and light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella, pecorino, and parsley.

Put each meat—the beef, pork, lamb, and veal—in a separate bowl. To each bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the pepper, and 1 egg.  Divide the onion and garlic evenly among the bowls. Add 1 teaspoon of paprika each to the bowls with the beef and lamb. Use your hands to gently combine each meat with the other ingredients, working it just enough to combine.

Put the beef into the loaf pan and pat it down with a rubber spatula to create a flat, even surface. Sprinkle one-third of the parsley-cheese mixture over the beef. Put the pork on top of the beef. Smooth it out in the same way you did the beef and top it with another one-third of the parsley-cheese mixture. Repeat with the lamb, topping it with the remaining parsley-cheese mixture, and finish with a layer of the veal.

Put the loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake the meatloaf for 1 hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spoon the tomato sauce over the top, spreading it over the surface of the meatloaf. Return the meatloaf to the oven and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into the center registers 145°F, about 30 minutes.

Take the meatloaf out of the oven. If you are not using a perforated pan, using oven mitts, tilt the pan to drain off the excess fat. Let the meatloaf rest in the pan for at least 15 minutes. If you are using a perforated pan, remove the meatloaf to a cutting board and slice it. Otherwise, slice it in the pan.

 

Source: Meat by Pat LaFrieda [Atria, 2014]

Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60 mm Macro Lens, F/4 for 1/40th second at ISO‑1600