Who'd have thought meatloaf could be so fancy? Amanda Cushman did, and she told Tonia's Kitchen about her recipe for Tuscan Meatloaf, and it's as decadent as it sounds. Amanda, who wrote the cookbook Simple Real Food told Tonia she combines 3 kinds of meat: turkey, beef and pork (but you can use whatever combination you want) combined with Porcini mushrooms, white wine and tomatoes, for a fancy, yet hearty meatloaf that could be served in a fine Italian restaurant, along with a classic diner!
Meat Loaf Braised in White Wine
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
1 oz. dried porcini or other wild mushrooms
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/4 pound ground pork
2 Tb. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 ounces finely chopped pancetta
2 tsp. chopped rosemary
2 tsp. chopped thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh pepper
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups dry white wine
3 Tb. tomato paste
Procedure
1. Heat the oven to 375. Combine the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl with 1 cup of boiling water.
2. Place the meat in a medium bowl and break up. Add the breadcrumbs, milk, cheese, eggs, salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Meanwhile, drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. Strain the liquid and save. Chop the mushrooms and set aside.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion for 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the pancetta, rosemary, thyme and garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add the reserved mushroom liquid to the skillet and cook over high heat two minutes. Allow to cool slightly. Add to the meat mixture and mix well. Form the meat into two loaves with your hands. Transfer the loaves to an oblong baking pan.
5. Combine the wine, tomato paste and reserved porcini mushrooms in a medium bowl and mix well. Pour around the loaves and cover loosely with foil.
6. Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, basting occasionally with the juices. Remove the pan to a cutting board and set aside for 10 minutes. Slice the loaves and pour sauce over.
