cook like james

I was visiting my dear friend David in Carefree Arizona when I first discovered this recipe. It was neatly written by his mother, Jane, on a small piece of paper tucked away in a kitchen drawer and titled “Bill Blass’s Meatloaf”.  Though I never had the pleasure of meeting Jane, I feel I formed a special bond with her in that Carefree kitchen when I first followed her instructions for this delicious meatloaf. David said that it was a winter staple in their family, and it certainly has become one of my “go to” recipes when I’m in the mood for authentic comfort food. Thanks Jane, you are missed.

 Download Jane Roche Meatloaf Recipe

2 ribs celery , chopped

2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream or whole milk plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 cup Heinz chili sauce

2 pounds ground beef sirloin

1/2 pound ground pork

1/4 pound ground veal

1 1/4 cup soft fresh bread crumbs (just pulse 3 slices of white bread )

8 slices bacon

Meatloaf Glaze

½ cup Heinz chili sauce

4 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons dry mustard

3 teaspoons cider or white vinegar

Preparation

1.    Mix glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

2.    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a heavy skillet over medium heat, saute the celery and onion in the butter or oil until soft, about 5 minutes; add garlic and cook 1 minute. Scrape into a large mixing bowl, add chopped parsley and set aside to cool.

3.    In medium bowl, mix eggs with sour cream (or yogurt) thyme, marjoram, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and ½ cup chili sauce. Add the meats, bread crumbs and egg mixture to the large bowl with onion mixture. Mix with fork or wooden spoon until evenly blended.

4.    Turn meat mixture onto foil lined shallow pan and with wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5-inch loaf shape.  Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.

5.     Bake loaf on center rack until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer, about 1 hour. Let rest for about 15 minutes before serving. Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly and serve with meatloaf slices.

*Note - The three types of meat give this dish its great flavor - it's sometimes sold in the supermarket as "Meatloaf Mix" - just make sure it's not pre-seasoned. You can also use all beef, or beef and pork combo - just make sure to thoroughly combine the mixture before forming the loaf. I like to serve the meatloaf with Rustic Mashed Red Bliss Potatoes - find the recipe here --> http://bit.ly/cjQqcq