New Meatloaf recipe from Sandra

Dinner was a new -for me- meatloaf, potatoes cooked with the meatloaf,  leftover green beans and a Mexican version of corn relish

DECEMBER 21, 2011 BY WENDY

Spinach & Garlic Meatloaf

I feel I ought to tell you something before sharing this recipe.  Before this year, I had absolutely no idea what meatloaf actually was.

Really. It’s not (as far as I’m aware) something that’s popularly eaten in Scotland.  I had heard about it on American TV programmes and films and, in my head, I had a vague notion that it might be a loaf of bread with flecks of mince through it and that didn’t sound terribly appealing.  Turns out it’s more like a huge sliceable burger.  Hmmm, that doesn’t sound particularly appetising either, now that I write it down…

Well, fellow meatloaf virgins, you’re going to have to just trust me on this one: it’s good.  Especially when bulked out with lots of veg like this one is and served with a smokey tomato & paprika sauce (this but with a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a glug of red wine).

Spinach & Garlic Meatload

(Adapted from The New York Times Cookbook)

(serves 4 – with enough leftover for a couple of rolls)

1 lb spinach

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

Olive oil

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

8 oz ground beef

8 oz lb ground pork

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 slice of bread, whizzed into breadcrumbs

1 egg

A generous sprinking of salt & pepper 

Norm’s notes.  I used pork breakfast sausage instead of ground pork. (had some pork shoulder and considered grinding it but decided to use sausage  instead). I used Panko bread crumbs and instead of a smoky tomato sauce, I made a paste of about 2 Tbsp each brown sugar and catsup; seasoned with about a half tsp. of dry mustard and 1/4 tsp. of hickory smoked salt then painted it atop the meatloaf before topping it with bacon. I cooked the spinach in a pan with a very small amount of water - that was on it when it was rinsed - and cooked it until wilted, no large amount of water.

• Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the onion and celery.  Cook until the onion is translucent then add the garlic.  Stir then set aside to cool while you…

• Drop the spinach into a pan of boiling water and pop the lid on.  Leave for a minute to wilt then drain.  Cool slightly then squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the spinach then chop roughly.

• Add the spinach, onion mixture, meats, breadcrumbs, spices  and egg  into a bowl.  Season well then mix together well using your hand.   I recommend testing the seasoning by frying a tiny ball of the mixture in the frying pan and tasting to see if you need more salt or pepper.

• Shape the mixture into the shape of a slightly deflated American football then wrap in bacon rashers.

• Place on a baking tray and cook in a 180 oC oven for 1hr 15 mins.

• Cool for 10 mins then slice.  Serve with a plain or smokey tomato sauce.

• Roast in a….375 oven for….1 to 1 1/4 hours

• Remove from oven and let rest for 10 mins.  Slice thickly and serve topped with the smokey tomato sauce.