Stephencooks

Pork and Porcini Meatloaf

1-1/2 lb ground pork (Boston butt if you have a choice)
1/2 lb ground beef (75% lean)
4 oz pancetta
4 oz bacon
3/4 C hearty red wine
1 carrot, minced
1 onion, minced
1 celery rib, minced
1-1/2 oz dried porcini
1 C panko
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 egg
1 T salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
4 T flatleaf parsley, minced
1/4 C grated Asiago cheese
2-1/2 T fennel seeds
2 garlic cloves, minced

For gravy:
2 C meat stock
3 T flour
salt, hot sauce, to taste

Cover the porcini with hot water and set out to soak for 15 minutes. ‘

Cut pancetta and bacon into chunks and place in food processor with a steel blade. Pulse several times to grind coarsely.

Toast the fennel seeds in a dry skillet over high heat, stirring constantly, until they start to change color. Grind the seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.

Slowly sauté the carrot, celery and onion in 2 T of olive oil, stirring. When they have been cooking for a few minutes, carefully lift the porcini from the soaking liquid (reserve liquid) with a slotted spoon and add to the pan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until most of the liquid is gone. Pour the mushroom liquid through a fine strainer into the pan, leaving the last few drops and any grit from the mushrooms in the bottom of the bowl. Add the wine, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is almost gone. Remove from heat.

Combine the meats, panko, vegetable/mushroom mixture, bay leaf, egg, salt, red pepper, parsley, cheese, fennel seed and garlic in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands and then form into a loaf. Set the loaf in a baking dish and bake in a preheated 350º oven until the internal temperature is 160º (depending on your oven and the initial temperature of your loaf this will take 3o - 50 minutes).

Allow to rest, covered in foil, 15 minutes before serving. If desired, make a gravy by cooking 3 T of flour slowly in 3 T of fat from the roasting pan, stirring, until it's a light brown, and then adding 2 cups of warm meat stock. Cook the gravy for a few minutes, stirring, until thickened and season to taste with salt and hot sauce.