Stephencooks

Stormy Weather Meatloaf

12 oz ground beef,  70% lean
12 oz ground pork, 80% lean
6 oz bacon or pancetta, medium dice
1 medium carrot, medium dice
1 small onion, medium dice
1 medium stalk celery, medium dice
olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1-1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup full-bodied red wine
1 egg
6 T panko flakes or unflavored bread crumbs
2 T fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
3 T fresh tarragon leaves, minced
1-1/2 tsp fennel seed, freshly ground
2 tsp salt
1 tsp hot sauce

Place the meats in the freezer* while preparing the other ingredients, to allow them to reach a temperature around 34º before mixing. Place the mushrooms in 2 cups of hot water to soak 15 minutes.

Sauté the carrot, onion and celery slowly in a little olive oil until the onions become translucent. Remove from heat.

Carefully lift the mushrooms from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon, reserving the liquid. Allow them to drain over the bowl for a few seconds and then transfer to a sieve. Rinse the mushrooms in running water for a few seconds to wash away any grit. Sauté the mushrooms in a little olive oil on medium heat for about three minutes, stirring. Pour the soaking liquid into the pan through a fine-mesh strainer, leaving the last teaspoonful in the bowl with any remaining grit. Add the wine, raise the heat and cook rapidly, stirring occasionally, to reduce the liquid to a thick, syrup-like glaze which will coat and cling to the mushrooms.

Combine the cold meat, carrot mixture, garlic, mushrooms, nutmeg, egg, panko, herbs, salt and hot sauce in a roomy bowl. Mix quickly but thoroughly (I think this is best done with a pair of clean hands) and press into a loaf pan. Deocorate if preferred with some artful carrot slivers, tarragon leaves, etc.

Bake in a 350º oven until the internal temperature reaches 150º. Remove from oven, wrap in foil and allow to rest 20 minutes.
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* I've been reading Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie lately and he instructs that blending the meat at near-freezing temperature binds the fats in such a way that they don't break down so readily under heat, which is apparently a good thing, so I've added this step to my meatloaf routine. Comments welcome on this.