My Favorite “Comfort” Recipe


I have to confess, since I first combined these particular ingredients a month or two ago, I have made this dish repeatedly and we have polished it off in very short order.
I have to think it would make the main ingredient of an excellent cold sandwich but, as I said, the leftovers haven’t lingered long enough.
Vegeta is a wonderful Croatian vegetable seasoning that I discovered a few years ago in a marvelous local German butcher shop.
With experimentation, I’ve come to use it in a wide range of recipes for its enhancement of vegetable flavors and I would highly recommend it joining your seasoning arsenal.
Also, I’ve used organic vegetables, garlic and ketchup in my version along with grain fed local beef and pork.

Beef & Pork Meatloaf

1 lb. Ground Beef
1 lb. Pork Sausage, mild
3 cloves Garlic, peeled and finely minced
1 Leek, cleaned, trimmed, chopped and finely minced
2 stalks Celery, cleaned, trimmed, chopped and finely minced
1 Egg, beaten
½ Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tsp Ketchup, plus a squirt or two for glazing
½ Tsp Vegeta Seasoning
½ Tsp Sea Salt
¼ Tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Bread Crumbs, fine

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and have a bread loaf pan standing by for the assembled loaf.
Assemble all ingredients in a large bowl.
To combine the loaf mixture, first remove all jewelry and thoroughly scrub hands.
This is a hands-on process and not for the squeamish.
Using those clean hands, squish the ingredients together.
Lifting and turning the mass as you continue to manipulate the mixture, it will, while remaining slightly sticky, become less sticky and firmer to the touch.
When the mixture has been thoroughly combined carefully lift it up and mold it into a general loaf shape.
Place it in the unprepared loaf pan and press it down into place while smoothing the top.
Smear an even coat of ketchup, for glazing, across the top of the loaf and place it in the oven for around an hour of baking.
Juices should run clear from the finished loaf.
The loaf’s shrinkage during baking should accommodate the fat from the cooked meat without a pan overflow however I usually place the loaf pan on a baking sheet to be safe.
Allow the cooked loaf to sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Image: Enhanced image from Sean's Nokia cellphone camera
- posted by Sean @ 4:42 PM