From Andrew's Blog: In Defense/Honor of Meatloaf
America's food culture over the past couple of decades has been shaped by the homecooking of other countries. A slew of chefs have risen to prominence by extolling the virtues of simple homemade fare from specific countries. Mario Batali has become a Crocs-wearing brand name through his commitment to the rustic pleasures of Italian cooking and Rick Bayless's tireless interest in Mexican country cooking has brought him his own frozen dinners. As Americans have come to enjoy restaurant renditions of the homey flavors of bolognese, bouillabaisse, and baklava, they have gradually downgraded the pleasures to be had in the American home kitchen. While we marvel as Batali makes a simple pasta dish with bread crumbs and anchovies, we roll our eyes at the mention of tuna noodle casserole.
Of course part of the reason that American homecooking is brushed aside is that it's oftentimes not very good (growing up in Minnesota, I've certainly had my share of bad casseroles--or "hot dish," as we say up there). That doesn't mean, though, that the foundation--slow cooking, choice pantry items, lots of meat--isn't strong. Case in point: meatloaf. When meatloaf is prepared thoughtfully, with a hand more liberal with herbs and spices than Betty Crocker's, it is a transcendently good meal. With an oily crust and a rich, juicy interior, meatloaf evokes the unfussy luxury of home as well as the sublime simplicity of fine dining. Sort of like a good bolognese.
In this recipe, I've supplemented the usual ground chuck with ground lamb and ground pork to provide a fuller meat flavor. For a moment, I thought about substituting pureed sun dried tomatoes for ketchup. Eventually, though, I concluded that, while many classic recipes deserve updating, there are some things you just don't mess with. Plus, I wanted my mom to continue talking to me.
andrew's meatloaf |
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1 lb ground lamb Preheat oven to 375.
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