POPS' Meatloaf

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs kobe ground beef (or substitute your choice of ground meat)
  • 1 cup panko
  • 1½ cups heavy cream
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ⅔ cup grated romano cheese
  • 3 cups sliced onion caramelized with 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar and 2 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp fine chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • salt & pepper to taste

For the Tempura

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup rice flour, potato starch or corn starch
  • 1 whole egg
  • 2 cups soda water or beer

For the Port & Veal Reduction

  • 1 cup small dice carrot, celery, and onion (mirepoix)
  • 1  tbsp tomato paste
  • 1½ cups inexpensive ruby port
  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 quart veal stock preferably homemade
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • salt & pepper to taste

Mushrooms & Carrots

  • amounts and varieties of your choice

How-to

Make Breadcrumb Binder, Caramelize the Onions & Bake the Meatloaf

  1. Place the heavy cream and the bread crumbs in a food processor and make a panade or binder
  2. Caramelize the onions in a heavy bottom pan on low about 2 hours, stirring frequently as not to burn.
  3. Cool the onions and mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl
  4. Divide mixture into mini loaf pans ungreased at 325º for about 35 minutes, internal temp. about 145-150º

Tempura Mushrooms

  1. Add as thin a layer of batter as possible to the mushrooms and  fry in 360º oil about 2½ minutes on each side until extremely crispy. Salt immediately

Glazed Carrots

  1. Split blanched or half cooked organic carrots
  2. Place in a saute pan with 4 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp honey, salt and pepper and caramelize to an amber color

Port & Veal Reduction

  1. In a heavy bottom sauce pan mix the vegetables and tomato paste and cook over a medium flame for 5 min. stirring so not to burn but need to carmelize the veg and tomato paste
  2. Add the port and let the alchohol burn off about 5 min. on high flame, incorporate the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Let reduce to less than a quarter of the volume and skim any scum that forms on top. The longer and slower it cooks the better