Mystic Meatloaf

Meatloaf can, at times, be a rather dull, dry affair but not if you make my Mystic Meatloaf. That is because it contains lots of vegetables that add flavor, texture and moisture. While meatloaf is not everyone’s cup of tea, often referred to as “mystery meat” when served in school cafeterias, it is a mainstay of cuisines around the world, albeit, in the form of a meatball more often than a big ole’ loaf. I hope you find that this version a sublime, mystical experience, as opposed to a strangely mysterious one.

Start with 2 lbs of ground beef (ground chuck, preferably). I personally remove the ground meat from the refrigerator about an hour ahead of time. It cooks better that way, in my opinion. Allowing the eggs that are used as a binder to come to room temperature is also a good idea. Of course, everyone should follow their own sensibilities in such matters.

Step 1. Prepare the vegetables
One medium-size, yellow onion, chopped

2 – 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Thinly slice 1 stalk of celery
Finely dice 2 medium-size carrots
Finely shred a cup of green cabbage. (Don’t balk at the cabbage, it melts into the meatloaf and does not impart a “cabbagy” flavor at all)

2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme (just strip leaves from stems)

Feel free to add or substitute vegetables. A red, yellow or orange bell peppers would be good...green less so, in my book. Parsnips or baby turnips could be tasty too, just so long as they are well diced. There are not rules. Go nuts!

Heat 1-2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet to medium (a cooking spray can be used, if one is so inclined)
Add onions, celery and carrots with a small pinch of salt and sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Sweating the veggies means they release their juice but don’t brown. The salt encourages the release of juices.
Add in the cabbage with another teeny pinch of salt and continue to sweat for another minute or two. Add in the garlic and herbs and sweat for another 30 seconds or until the garlic releases its delightful aroma. Remove the vegetables from the heat and add a couple of grinds of black pepper. Place the vegetable mixture in a bowl and allow to come to room temperature before assembling meatloaf.

Step 2 . While the vegetables cool, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.


Step 3. Assemble and mix the ingredients

Good bread crumbs make the meatloaf and fresh bread crumbs work the best. You will need 1 cup to 1 ½ cups of bread crumbs, depending on how dense you like your meatloaf. You can easily make fresh bread crumbs by cubing up some whole grain, white bread or any bread you like and pulsing it in a food processor or blender. If you don’t want to grind up fresh bread crumbs, the next best thing is to use panko crumbs. If neither of the above float your boat, by all means, use dried bread crumbs.

Soak the bread crumbs in enough milk (skim, whole or anything in between) to saturate them, usually about 1/3 cup. Assemble your ingredients or get your “mise in place,” as the professionals would say. (Literally means something like “put in place,” as in have all ingredients prepped and ready to go.)


Once the vegetables have cooled, place the ground meat in a large bowl.
Add:
1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
The soaked bread crumbs
2 lightly beaten, room temp eggs
1- 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2-3 Tablespoons of catsup
The sautéed vegetables
Mix to completely combine.

Step 4. Form into a loaf in a baking pan or use a loaf pan.


Step 5. Bake for an hour or until done.

Meatloaf is done, in my book, when it reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees based on an instant read thermometer. However, I think, some incredible number such as 180 degree is the officially advocated temperature (once again, follow your own sensibilities). Either way, the center should be firm to the touch.

Roasted Poblano Pork Chops

This is a "south of the border" version of smothered pork chops that I concocted for dinner last night to use up some roasted poblanos that I had on hand. For those who are not familiar, poblanos are dark green peppers that can be found in most US grocery stores, usually nearby jalapeno and serrano chilis. They are flavorful and pretty mild as far as heat goes. They bear no resemblance, in my opinion, to green bell peppers and I would not endorse substituting green bell peppers in this dish.

Poblanos can be roasted in the same manner as a bell pepper. That is, poke a small air hole in the top by stabbing the pepper with the tip of a knife close to the stem. Place on a broiler pan, and char the skin on all sides under an oven broiler. The skins should darken and bubble up. Watch them carefully. Remove from oven and turn with tongs to get them evenly charred. The peppers can also be placed on an outdoor grill to char. I have even used the gas burner on my stove for this operation. Once charred, place the poblanos in a brown paper bag to sweat. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, their peels can be easily removed by hand.

To make the pork chops:

1. Peel, stem and remove the seeds of 2-3 poblanos and slice into strips. Slice one red onion into half moons and chop 2-3 cloves of garlic.

2. Pound the pork chops to about 1/2 inch thickness to tenderize and insure quick, even cooking. It is easiest to place the chop between some plastic wrap when pounding. Season chops liberally with salt.


3. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of canola oil and a splash of olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. When oil shimmers but does not quite smoke, add chops. Do not crowd the pan or the chops will steam and not brown up nicely.

4. Allow the chops to brown on one side without moving and then flip and brown the other side. (If by any chance the pork chops stick, that means the oil was not hot enough.)

5. Transfer browned chops to a plate and set aside. If there is an excessive amount of oil in the skillet, remove all but 2-3 tablespoons. Add the sliced onions to the pan and reduce heat so that the onions sizzle but do not burn. Cook the onions stirring occasionally until they are softened and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Clear a space in the middle of the pan and add the poblano strips and continue to cook until they begin to brown up, about 3 minutes. Once the poblanos begin to brown, add in the chopped garlic and cook for another minute.

6. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of floor over the vegetables in the skillet. Stir to incorporate and cook off the floury taste for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk or stir in 1- 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil to thicken slightly. Add additional chicken stock, as necessary.

7. Return pork chops and any accumulated juices to the pan. Push the chops down into the sauce and adjust heat to a simmer. Once simmering, you may add in a handful of chopped cilantro, if so desired.

8. Continue to simmer the chops for 15-20 minutes or until they are completely cooked and the flavors have incorporated. Do not allow the chops to boil. Taste sauce and add salt and/or pepper, as desired. Plate chops on heated serving platter.

This dish is really good with mashed sweet potatoes, as the sweetness of the potatoes is a good foil for the slight heat of the poblanos. Of course, the sauce would be good on rice too.