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Meat Loaf with Herbs
Some years ago, we belonged to a supper club. Each Wednesday, we gathered for dinner at one of the
four households. The host was responsible for all of the cooking. The guests were not
obligated to linger beyond the meal. And the understanding that we wanted the focus to be
more social than culinary was expressed as "meat loaf is acceptable." This simple
recipe took meat loaf to a new level of us.
If you're halving the recipe or if you just want a crustier effect, shape the meat into
a ball and set it in the center of a lightly oiled, round cake pan.
| 1 T. butter |
4 T. finely chopped onions or shallots |
| 1 t. minced garlic |
4 T. chopped fresh herbs (one or more from parsley, dill, cilantro) |
| 1 1/2 c. bread crumbs |
1/4 t. nutmeg |
| 1/8 t. Tabasco sauce |
1/4 t. ground cumin |
| salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste |
2 lbs. ground beef |
| 1/2 c. yogurt |
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- Heat the butter in a small skillet. Add the onions and garlic, cooking until the
onions are wilted. Cool.
- Preheat oven to 425o. Put a quart or so of water in the tea kettle and
set over high heat.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, adding the beef and the yogurt last.
(As with hamburgers, one key instruction is to handle the meat as little as possible, so
it keeps its texture.) Pat the mixture into a loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Place the loaf pan in a baking dish, and pour the boiling water into the dish to a
depth of 1-1 1/2 inches. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the loaf pan from the water. Allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
6 servings
Source: Pierre Franey, Cooking in America
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