Meatloaf

I will be happy to provide you with the recipe for meatloaf, a classic dish of Italian cuisine. Meatloaf can vary in its regional recipes, but I’ll give you a traditional version that you can adapt according to your taste.

Ingredients

• 700g of ground meat (beef or a mix of beef and pork for more flavor)
• 100g of stale bread
• 100ml of milk
• 2 eggs
• 50g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic
• A bunch of fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Breadcrumbs as needed
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Slices of bacon (optional)

Preparation

1. Put the stale bread in a bowl and pour the milk over it, allowing it to soften for a few minutes.
2. In the meantime, in a large bowl mix the ground meat with the eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
3. Squeeze the soaked bread and add it to the meat mixture along with the finely chopped garlic and freshly chopped parsley.
4. Work everything with your hands until you obtain a homogenous mixture; if it’s too moist, you can add a little breadcrumbs to make the mixture more compact.
5. Take a baking tray and grease the bottom with extra virgin olive oil.
6. Shape the mixture into a loaf and place it in the tray. If you want, you can wrap the outside of the meatloaf with slices of bacon for an extra layer of flavor and crispiness.
7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for about 1 hour or until the meatloaf is golden brown on the surface and cooked inside.
8. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving.

Curiosity

Meatloaf, often confused with meatballs due to the similar name, is actually a very different dish. Its origin is lost in history, and it seems to be a derivative of the Roman “pulmentum,” an ancient food based on porridge. Every region of Italy then has its variant, from the wet one to the one stuffed with vegetables, cheeses, and hard-boiled eggs.