TheGolfersWife wrote:

> I have been trying (very hard!) to find a good tasty meatloaf recipe
> that will cut well when cold for sandwiches, as well as being served
> hot when first made - with brown meat gravy. We do not like heavy
> tomato sauce poured over the meatloaf, either after or during the
> cooking process, nor spicy additives such as chilli or cayenne.
> Don't mind some mustard and worcestershire sauce, but not too much.
>
> I guess I will need to use sausage meat as well as ground beef to get
> a good cutting consistency. I would like to put small diced carrot
> and peas in the mixture and of course a tablespoon of tomato paste and
> dried mixed herbs to season up the mixture.
>
> If anyone can help me with this most unusual meatloaf request I would
> be grateful.
>
>
> The Golfer's Wife

I have used all sorts of different recipes for meat loaf till i stumbled
across the cook book "Jewish cookery." The following is the recipe as
published, after it i will note the changes i have made to it.
Following the recipe as written will produce a very good meat loaf, i
like to think i have slightly improved on it and with the cabbage added,
i think i have made a major improvement.

A major improvement in the texture of the meat loaf is achieved by using
the food processor to puree all the veggies before mixing into the meat
mix, i prefer the very fine grained, pate like meat loaf, it is
especially good for slicing for sandwiches.

Baked meat loaf
-------------------

1 & 1/2 pound chopped beef

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs or boiled rice

1 large grated onion

1 large grated carrot

1 clove of garlic, grated

2 eggs

1/2 cup water or stock

3 tablespoons hot melted shortening

paprika

Combine all ingredients except shortening and paprika. Form into a
loaf. Melt shortening in loaf pan and place meat loaf in, pressing into
shape of pan. Dust with paprika. Bake in a preheated oven at 375
degrees F. for 45 minutes or till evenly browned on top.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I use 2 pounds of meat, 1 pond of ground turkey, and 1 pound of a local
beef and pork, un spiced sausage. And i can not stress highly enough
the "mixing" of the ingredients, thoroughly mix, i take a good 3-5
minutes to get my hands in there and make sure every thing is thoroughly
mixed.

Instead of bread crumbs or rice i use oat bran or wheat bran, not only
is it good for one, but i like the taste, i add it to ground meat when
making pasta or anything that calls for ground meat.

The first few times i made this recipe i "grated" the veggies but as
stated i just dislike prep work so it occurred to me to "puree" them in
the food processor and i really like the ease and texture this produces
(and its much quicker) in the finished product. Plus i add a green
and/or red sweet pepper and as the point of this post 1/4 of a whole
head of green cabbage, finely minced in the food processor. I really
don't know why i had not thought of it before, cause one of my favourite
dishes is "stuffed kohlrabi" where the kohlrabi leaves are chopped and
added to a meat mix and stuffed into the kohlrabi root and baked.

I leave out the eggs.

The amount of water or stock you add to the raw meat loaf may seem a
mistake, the first time i made it i thought "ooops that can be right" as
it makes a very loose "soupy" mix, but it bakes up just fine, and i
think this is part of why it comes out so finely textured. the amount of
liquid allows for a very fine incorporation of all the elements.

I don't bother to "grease" my pan, i mix it all up in a big steel bowl,
and then form it onto a rounded loaf in the bottom of the bowl and stick
it in the oven, the meat has enough fat in it to not need extra, even if
using turkey.

I leave out the paprika, and sometimes slather ketchup over the top.
Though with the inclusion of the cabbage, which i chopped very fine in
the food processor ( about 1/4 of a whole head of cabbage) i doubt i
will do so ever again.

Hope you enjoy it as much as i do and am looking forward to any comment
you may have on the recipe or finished product.
--
JL