Italian American Meatloaf (Polpettone)

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Christmas lunch was a success, thanks to all new recipes that I thought I will give a try. I just wanted something different for a change from the usual Filipino food that everybody prepares for the holiday season. I of course turned to Lidia for some inspiration. Her recipes always come out a success no matter how bad you are in the cooking department. A not so new thing for me, I decided to try and make her meatloaf recipe. I used to follow a friend's recipe for meatloaf but I tired of it and it was only now that I thought I'd give the meatloaf another go but with an Italian flair this time.

While making the meat mixture, I totally forgot that the meat here is sold in kilograms while in the US, the pound unit is still in use. I then ended up with two times the amount of meat that I initially needed but after a few minor changes, things worked out quite well. The meatloaf is delicious and very moist and worked quite well paired with either rice pilaf or a French bread. You can definitely cut this recipe in half if two loaves of meatloaf is just a bit too much for you.

Italian American Meatloaf - Adapted*

3 lbs ground pork
3 lbs ground beef
1 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
1 cup onions, diced finely
4 tbsp garlic cloves, minced
1 cup celery stalks, diced finely
2 cup diced tomatoes, canned
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup green onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 tsp salt
4-5 tbsp olive oil
4 cups country bread, diced
1 1/2 cup milk
4 eggs, beaten

1.  In a small bowl, combine the sliced country bread with the milk. Allow the 
     milk to soak into the bread. Mash with your hands until a fine mixture is 
     obtained. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Line a large baking pan (10x10 inch) and grease with the olive oil. You can 
    partition the pan into two to obtain two meatloaves. 

3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Add the bread
    mixture and work into the meat mixture with your hands. Do not overmix.

4. Transfer meat mixture into the prepared pan and smoothen the top and 
    edges to form a uniform loaf.

5. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until the internal temperature 
    registers at 160°F. Let cool for about 15 minutes.

6. Transfer onto a large serving plate and slice. Drizzle the gravy from the 
    baking pan all over and serve some on the side as well. 

* Lidia's Italy: Italian American Meatloaf (Polpettone).