[Sca-cooks] Re: Meat loaf (was Peppers and Mangoes)

[Martin G. Diehl]

[attributions restored]

Phlip wrote:

> "Susan Laing" <paxford at dodo.com.au> wrote: 

> > I have got to admit mystification about the average 
> > American "Meatloaf" -

[snip]

> > So what is it really? - I'm assuming ground beef is 
> > involved (aka "mince meat" as it's known in australia).

Well, it's not 'Mystery Meat' -- you have to go to college 
for that.  <g> 

> > Is it some larger grander variation on the common Aussie 
> > Rissole? (mince meat + diced onions + egg to bind it 
> > together to a ball shape and then fried in oil in a pan. 
> > Think "hamburger patties" without them being flattened)

That makes me think of frittata. (not a Bad Thing® either <g>)

I happen to like hamburgers made of more than just ground 
beef -- minced onions, minced garlic, minced parsley, egg, 
bread crumbs (maybe just a little), seasoned with salt, 
fresh ground pepper, cayenne pepper, a touch of tobasco sauce.  

Visualize a cooked version of steak tartare.  

In any case, mixed by hand not in a food processor -- it 
would be too uniform in that case.  

Hiding overcooked meat loaf under a thick gravy is similar 
to admitting defeat or eating in a bad restaurant.  

> > Mari

[snip]

> Classicly, it contains a 50/50 mix of ground pork and 
> ground beef, 

... or equal parts of ground beef, ground pork, ground veal.  

I recently used a 50/50 mix of ground veal and ground beef.  

> with bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and an egg binder, 
> baked in a bread pan (why it's called meat "loaf"), and 
> covered with a tomato sauce to bake.

...or bacon strips.  

[snip]

> can be shaped in a ball, 

... fried and cooked in spaghetti sauce served over pasta..  

[snip]

> Saint Phlip,

Vincenzo

-- 
Martin G. Diehl

http://www.renderosity.com/gallery.ez?ByArtist=Yes&Artist=MGD

Reality: That which remains after you stop thinking about it.
  inspired by P. K. Dick