Luckily I had made it so many times that I had the recipe memorized. Of course I had modified it by then as well. How many meat loaves did I make for you guys on cold autumn and winter days while you were growing up? Who knows?!? This recipe also works very well for meatballs.
Today I shall make it for my husband. I'll stir in the tapenade left over from last night's dinner party. Look for the tapenade recipe elsewhere in this blog.
- 2 lbs good ground beef
- 1 lb spicy Italian sausage
- 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 eggs
- 1 package onion soup mix
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, or 2 Tbsp dry basil
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1/2 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan or Reggio cheese
- 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups broth, chicken, beef, or vegetable (your choice or whatever you have on hand
- 1/2 cup red or white wine
On a large tray cover the meat with the rub and pat well until it adheres. Place the loaf in a cake pan or casserole dish. You'll need capacity around it for the baste, which gets added later. Place pan in preheated oven.
Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees, then turn down heat to 350 degrees.
Bake for 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then slowly pour baste over loaves until you've added it all, or the baste comes halfway up inside the pan. Return to oven.
Every 10 minutes open oven and baste with liquid in pan. Bake for about 30 minutes this way. Test by poking a skewer or meat thermometer into center of loaf. Juices emerging should be clear. If testing with thermometer you want the center to reach 160 degrees.
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes, then remove loaf to a cutting board. Slice off an end and take a bite of the crusty bark. Wash down with a drink of wine and start cutting thick slices for those you love.
