MEAT LOAF / POLPETTONI

Italian Beef

The only difference between regular meat loaf Sicilian meat roll is they stuff it with some prosciutto cuto (which is boiled ham) and mozzarella cheese. Flatten the meat loaf on some foil or waxed paper, layer in the meat and cheese then fold it over and seal the edges.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb. ground beef, 85% lean would be fine
  • 1/2 each of seeded and diced red and green pepper
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 c. ketchup or as required
  • 2 eggs
  • Some good olive oil
  • 1/2 stick of butter
  • A small handful of chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
  • 1/2 pound of lean sliced bacon
  • 1/2 pound of fresh sliced mushrooms
  • 3-4 cloves of minced fresh garlic
  • Some Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 package Lipton's Onion Soup mix
  • Splash of dry Sherry (never cook with anything you wouldn't drink)
  • 1 cup of beef stock
  • Some Gravy Master
  • A little flour and water mixture to thicken or use a roux.
  • 1-2 cups of seasoned breadcrumbs or comparable soaked stale bread
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a sauté pan over med. / high heat add a little oil and half the butter. When back up to temp. , sauté the onion and peppers until they soften a little but not quite translucent. Remove from heat, strain retaining liquid and set aside. Don't get too rambunctious and start washing the sauté pan; set it aside also. In a large bowl add the meat, eggs, sautéed veggies, some breadcrumbs to your liking, 1/2 the mushrooms and 1/2 the garlic, parsley, the onion soup mix, S & P to taste, a few squirts of Worcestershire and the ketchup. Now dig your bare hands in and start mixing and folding everything in. Now it's time for a taste test. I taste the raw meat but you don't have to. Put a little in the sauté pan and cook it up like a squished meatball and then taste it; if it needs anything "fix it". Put a splash of oil in a baking pan or your favorite lasagna pan and spread it around. Add the meat and form the meatloaf. Layer strips of bacon over the entire top and bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Check for doneness with your finger. If the meat starts bouncing back a little get it out; if you can poke a hole in it, keep cooking. That was simple! When done, remove from the oven, strain off and save the juices, cover and set aside for about 10 minutes or so.

Now back to the dirty sauté pan. Add a little oil and a wedge of butter over med. / high heat and sauté the mushrooms. S & P to taste, add a little garlic and a splash of beef stock. Cook until al dente then remove them from the pan and set aside. To that same old dirty pan add a good splash of sherry, de-glaze the pan and reduce to almost half. Add the remaining beef stock, the juices from both the veggies and the meat loaf, a few drops of Gravy Master and Worcestershire, the remaining garlic and bring to a low boil and let reduce at a simmer. To lighten up the color, if you wish, just add a little milk product. To thicken, use the flour or the roux. When to your liking and your taste, add the mushrooms, a little parsley and set aside for serving. Slice the meatloaf in a serving platter, pour some of the gravy over the top and serve the rest on the side.

I am not going to tell you what sides to make with dish even though mashed potatoes and peas are pretty much standard. But for a twist, try some Red Bliss Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

ROUX: This is the best thickening agent and can be used in anything. Demi-glaze, Gravies, Soups, etc.

Equal parts butter & flour. Melt butter, slowly whisk in flour and simmer until golden brown and remove from flame. DONE! When using a roux it must be at room temp or cooler than the product being cooked. Over med. Heat, stir in a little roux until dissolved and let thicken. Start off with a teaspoon per qt. of liquid, or fraction thereof, and add as required.


MEATLOAF DOESN'T SOUND VERY ITALIAN BUT IN ITALIAN IT IS CALLED POLPETTONI AND YES, THEY DO MAKE IT IN ITALY. QUITE OFTEN MEATLOAF WAS MADE FROM LEFTOVER PREVIOUSLY ROASTED OR BOILED AS OPPOSED TO RAW MEAT USED TODAY. MEATLOAF, IN SOME FORM OR ANOTHER, HAS BEEN AROUND LONG BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF MEAT GRINDERS WHICH WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 1890- 1900. NOT ONLY WAS MEATLOAF A QUICK MEAL TO PREPARE BUT ALSO ONE THAT COULD EASILY BE STRETCHED WITH FILLERS. IT BECAME A COMMON PRACTICE TO GRIND UP LEFTOVER MEAT AND MAKE MEATBALLS OR MEATLOAF WITH IT BEFORE IT SPOILED DUE TO POOR REFRIGERATION AT THAT TIME. IT WAS A DISH THAT WAS NORMALLY SERVED TO A FAMILY AND FRIENDS, IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING, GUESTS YOU DIDN'T NEED TO IMPRESS. WELL, BEING LABELED A PHEASANT FOOD AND AN INDICATION OF STATURE, IT WAS EITHER COOKED AT HOME OR AVAILABLE IN MOST MOM-AND-POP TYPE TRATTORIA'S THAT CATERED TO A THE LOCAL CLIENTELE. ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE OLD ITALIANS OFTEN USE BREAD INSTEAD OF BREAD CRUMBS IN MEATBALLS IN MEATLOAF; AS MY GRANDMOTHER DID. TAKE DAY-OLD ITALIAN BREAD, TRIM AWAY THE CRUST, BREAK IT UP AND SOAK IT THOROUGHLY IN MILK OR WATER THEN SQUEEZE MOST OF THE LIQUID OUT. YOU DON'T WANT IT TOO WET JUST WELL MOIST. MIX THE SOAKED BREAD INTO THE GROUND MEAT AS YOU WOULD BREAD CRUMBS. HOW MUCH? I USUALLY GO BY FEEL AND TASTE BUT THE AMOUNT OF BREAD IS PROBABLY ABOUT A LOADED CUP FOR A POUND OF GROUND BEEF. THE BREAD SHOULD BE DAY-OLD OR MORE BECAUSE IF IT'S TOO FRESH IT WILL TURN TO MUSH. IF YOU ARE USING BREAD CRUMBS, USE A GOOD FLAVORED ONE LIKE 4C. AS PEOPLE GROW UP THEY TEND TO MAKE IT LIKE THEIR MOTHER DID. I, PERSONALLY, LIKED MY AUNT MAY'S BETTER. OF COURSE MEATLOAF VARIES FROM FAMILY TO FAMILY, HOUSEHOLD TO HOUSEHOLD AND ETHNIC TO ETHNIC. SOME COOKS MAKE IT WITH GROUND BEEF, ONIONS, BREAD CRUMBS, EGG AND VARIOUS SPICES. OTHERS PREFER A MIX OF GROUND BEEF, VEAL AND PORK IN VARIOUS PROPORTIONS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU CAN BUY THIS MIXTURE IN MANY GROCERY STORES THAT ACTUALLY SELL IT AS A MEATLOAF MIXTURE. MEAT LOAF CAN BE TOPPED WITH KETCHUP, TOMATO SAUCE OR BACON WHICH IS THE WAY I LIKE IT. THERE IS REALLY NO SET RECIPE OR COMBINATION OF MEATS SO DO IT THE WAY YOU LIKE IT. EVERY TIME I SEE A RECIPE FOR WHAT IS SO-CALLED ITALIAN MEATLOAF I WONDER. WHAT IS ITALIAN MEATLOAF?? OBVIOUSLY THE ONLY THING MAKING IT ITALIAN IS USING SOME ITALIAN SEASONING, SOME CHEESE AND MAYBE SOME SAUSAGE MEAT MIXED IN; WHICH SOUNDS FINE TO ME. ALL SAID AND DONE, THIS HAPPENS TO BE MY OWN BASIC RECIPE THAT I SERVED AT OUR WINE CLUB NOT TOO LONG AGO TO SOME VERY SPECIAL GUESTS; MISTER BOB DUVA AND HIS LOVELY WIFE SUSAN. THE DUVAS PUBLISH THE FEDERAL HILL GAZETTE WHICH IS THE ITALIAN WHAT'S GOING ON AND THE WHO'S WHO IN THE ITALIAN COMMUNITY. AS YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN IN PREVIOUS PRINT IN THESE RECIPES, THE SOUTH SIDE SOCIAL CLUB IS A STRICTLY MEN'S CIGAR SMOKING WINE CLUB BUT IT WAS A PLEASURE HAVING SUSAN JOIN US.

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Submitted 10/20/05.
Source: SOUTH SIDE SOCIAL CLUB COOKBOOK
Submitted By: VINCENZO PAOLINO
vin.paolino@verizon.net
MEAT LOAF / POLPETTONI