Such is the legend of this meatloaf that a workmate of my husband named Davy, who lives in Ireland and once got served this for dinner at our home while here on business, contacted me recently via Facebook and asked for the recipe. Though it has been years since we enjoyed that evening together, he never got over the meatloaf!
Date: 01-Nov-2004 22:29
Author: Jenise Email
Subject: RC: The best meat loaf I've ever eaten, bar none (repost)
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Yep--not just made myself, but eaten. I've never had a meat loaf as good: the leanest ground beef, sausage, fresh bread crumbs and grated mozzarella seasoned with veritable handfuls of sun-dried tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil and wine.
This was adapted from a recipe by Mario Batali's father Armandino, himself a restauranteur in Seattle. My version reduces the quantity and the fat and makes some minor tweaks that, with all due respect, made a great thing even better.
1 to 1.25 lb extra lean ground beef
3 sweet raw Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1 cup grated mozzarella (kind of packed, don't skimp!)
3 tblsp dried basil (generous)
1 tblsp dried oregano (generous)
1 medium brown or white onion, finely diced and sweated in 1 tblsp butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1.5 cups fresh breadcrumbs
3/4 c. finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 c. V-8, divided
2 eggs
1/2 c. dry white wine
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan melt the butter and soften the onions. Gently combine all but the last three ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Separately, mix half the V-8 with the eggs and wine, then fold into the meat mixture. Form a loaf (I recommend using a foil-lined cookie sheet), then rub the remaining V-8 over the loaf. Then sprinkle a little extra salt, pepper and oregano on top to give the crust an even more intense flavor.
Pop into your hot oven and bake for one hour. Turn oven off and open door slightly to let the loaf rest before slicing, about 15 minutes.
If you're used to meat loaf having a gravy and are concerned that this one will be dry without same, worry not. This meatloaf is so moist it oozes, and a sauce would IMO be gratuitous. I served ours over a puddle of soft, steamed zucchini.
Oh, and it's fantastic cold--guess what I just ate a slice of for breakfast?
Makes about six servings.
