How to Make a Perfect Meatloaf
Does your meatloaf look -- and taste -- more like a science experiment than a meal?
It doesn't have to.
Chef Lidia Bastianich, the host of the PBS show Lidia's Italy and the author of a new book, "Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy," showed on "The Early Show" how you can make a classic, delicious Italian meatloaf in your own kitchen.
RECIPES:
MEATLOAF WITH RICOTTA -- Polpettone di Manzo con Ricotta
Serves 8 or more
Most of you have made meatloaf on occasion; you may even have a favorite family recipe that you make frequently. Well, I want to introduce you to the Marchegiano style of meatloaf, with ricotta added to the mix, which renders the loaf tender and tasty -- not heavy and dense, as they so often are. Another textural delight in this loaf is cubes of mozzarella, oozing and moist when the meatloaf is served hot and fresh from the oven. However, if you plan on having extra meatloaf to enjoy the next day, I think it is almost better that way -- omit the mozzarella, because the cubes harden and won't melt again. In this case, use an additional cup of ricotta in the loaf mix.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup milk
3 cups day-old bread cubes, from a loaf of country bread
3 pounds ground beef
3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 pound drained fresh ricotta (about 2 cups), plus more for the sauce if you like
1 bunch scallions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 3.4 inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 5 cups Tomato Sauce
Recommended equipment: A sturdy roasting pan, 10 by 17 inches or larger
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour the milk over the bread cubes in a bowl, and let soak for a few minutes, until the bread is saturated.
Squeeze the soft bread a handful at a time, pressing out as much milk as you can (discard milk, or give it to a pet), then tear bread into small shreds and toss back into the bowl. Crumble the ground beef into the bowl, and add the eggs, ricotta, scallions, grated cheese, parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Fold and toss everything together, and squeeze the mixture a few times between your fingers to distribute all the ingredients evenly. Scatter the mozzarella cubes on top, and fold and mush them throughout the loaf mix.
Brush the roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Gather the meat mixture in the bowl, turn it into the pan, and shape it into a fat oval loaf. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover the pan with foil tent it so it doesn't touch the meat -- and bake 45 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the meatloaf is browned all over and completely cooked through, another 1 hour and 30 minutes or so. (If you check the loaf with a meat thermometer, it should reach a temperature of 160o.) Remove the roast from the oven, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Heat the tomato sauce to a simmer in a saucepan as the meat rests. Turn off the heat, and, if you like, stir 1/2 cup or so fresh ricotta into the sauce. Cut the loaf crosswise in the pan or on a cutting board, in slices as thick as you like. Serve on warm dinner plates, topped with a spoonful or two of sauce, and pass more sauce at the table (or, for family-style serving, arrange the slices on a warm platter, topped with some of the sauce). To accompany this meatloaf, I love braised broccoli rabe (broccoli di rape) or escarole, served on a separate plate or platter.
Note: If you love fresh ricotta, as I do, you can stir some into the tomato sauce, too, just before serving the meatloaf.
TOMATO SAUCE -- Salsa di Pomodoro
Makes about 3 cups, enough for 1 pound dried pasta or 1 1/2 pounds fresh, serving 6
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds ripe fresh plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or one 35-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes, seeded and lightly crushed, with their liquid
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup finely shredded peeled carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped celery, including leaves
4 fresh bay leaves or 2 dried bay leaves
Kosher salt to taste
Peperoncino flakes to taste
METHOD:
Pass the tomatoes through a food mill fitted with the fine disk. Heat the oil in a 2-to-3 quart nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes.
Add the food-milled tomatoes and the bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Season lightly with salt and peperoncino. Once it's boiling, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and season with salt and peperoncino if necessary.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
COUNTRY SALAD -- Insalata Paesana
Serves 6
Crunchy, flavorful, refreshing, nourishing, and colorful, this salad makes a fine meal by itself. Its assortment of vegetables, apples, nuts, and cheese should be fresh and well prepared. It is especially important to use a top-quality table cheese, because it is a major contributor of taste and texture. In Trentino-Alto Adige, this salad would always have a fresh local cheese, most likely an Asiago pressato, made with milk from farms in the province of Trento (and the neighboring Veneto region). Aged only 20 days, cubes of this young cheese have a sweetness and soft, chewy consistency that's perfect in salad. If you can't find genuine Italian Asiago, don't buy the inferior cheeses called Asiago, produced in other countries (including the United States). Choose instead Montasio -- a favorite of mine from my home region, Friuli-similarly soft and sweet, though richer and more complex than Asiago. Cubes of fresh Grana Padano (which also is made in Trento) or even good American cheddar, younger and on the mild side, would be great here as well.
You can dress this salad in advance and set it out on a buffet. In that case, though, I suggest you add the walnuts just before serving, so they remain crunchy.
METHOD:
1 pound cauliflower
3/4 pound small red potatoes
(3 or 4 potatoes)
1 large or 2 smaller firm, crisp apples (1/2 pound or so)
8 small radishes (about 6 ounces)
1 cup 1/4 - inch- diced red onion
8 ounces imported Italian Asiago, rind removed, cut in 1/4- inch cubes
(see headnote for other good cheeses)
1/2 cup toasted coarsely chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra- virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
Recommended equipment: A large bowl for dressing, tossing, and serving
METHOD:
Fill a pot or saucepan with 3 quarts water, and heat it to a boil.
Tear off any tough leaves at the base of the cauliflower (reserve any small, tender leaves) and cut out the core. Break or cut the large branches into small florets, drop them (and any tender leaves) into the boiling water, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Lift from the water, and drain well in a colander. When cool, put the florets in the large bowl.
As soon as the cauliflower is out of the pot, return the water to a boil and drop in the potatoes. Cook them at a gentle boil just until a knife blade pierces the center easily-don't let them get mushy. Drain and briefly cool the potatoes; peel them while still warm, cut into 1/4 inch dice, and put them in the serving bowl with the cauliflower.
Peel and core the apples, cut into 1/4-inch dice, and add to the salad bowl. Trim radishes, quarter them in wedges, and drop into the bowl along with the diced red onion, cubes of Asiago, and toasted walnuts.
Sprinkle the salt over the salad pieces and toss. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar over salad and toss; sprinkle on the parsley, toss once more, and serve.
ROASTED WINTER SQUASH
By roasting the vegetable here, the squash, like Cinderella, is transformed. It becomes the centerpiece rather than a side dish.
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
To Prepare and Bake the Squash
3 pounds winter squash, such as butternut, buttercup or acorn squash
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons butter, for the baking sheet
To Serve (optional)
1/2 cup or so Orange Sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons Balsamic reduction for "Drizzling" (page 000)
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Cut the squash in half through the stem and blossom ends. Scoop out all the seeds and fibers so the flesh is clean. Place each half cut side down and, with a sharp chef's knife, cut straight across to trim the ends of the squash. Then cut the squash into even slices (cutting cross-wise) or wedges (cutting lengthwise) -- all about 2 inches thick at the widest part.
Remove the peel from the squash slices with a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife. (With acorn squash, strip off the peel just from the top of the ridges; this will help the pieces cook faster and creates a decorative striped look.)
Pile the squash in a mixing bowl, drizzle the oil and sprinkle the salt over the pile and toss to coat the slices with the seasonings.
Spread the butter on a large baking sheet (or line it with a non-stick silicon sheet.). Lay the slices flat on the sheet with plenty of space between them for even caramelization.
Bake about 20 minutes then flip the pieces over; bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until they are tender all the way through (poke with a fork to check) and nicely caramelized on the edges.
Serve hot; drizzle Balsamic reduction in thin streaks all over the top.
The squash is also delicious with just one of the sauces or with only a final drizzle of good olive oil and another sprinkle of salt before serving by itself!
For more recipes, go to Page 3.
ORANGE SAUCE
Using orange brightens and brings sunshine to fall and winter vegetables.
Good with cauliflower, parsnips, turnips, leeks and celery root.
Makes about 1 cup
METHOD:
3 or 4 medium size oranges
1-1/2 cups of leek chunks (1-inch pieces)
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 tablespoon soft butter for thickening the sauce
METHOD:
Rinse and dry the oranges. With a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, remove the outer peel of three of the oranges, in strips. Don't take off any of the bitter white pith-if you do, trim it away from the strip. Put the strips of peel in a small saucepan, 2 quarts or so.
Cut the oranges in half and squeeze to get out all the juice: you should have a bit more than a cup. (Juice another orange if you have a cup or less). Add the juice to the saucepan along with the leek pieces, cinnamon stick and water. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a perking boil and let the sauce cook for about 30 minutes, reducing to about 1/3 of the original volume.
Pour the sauce into a sieve set over a bowl. Remove the cinnamon stick and the pieces of peel (wiping them off and saving any juices) then press and scrape the leek pieces with a spoon or spatula to retrieve as much liquid as you can.
You should have about 3/4 of a cup of orange "soup." To thicken this into a sauce, take the butter and…
Serve the sauce hot. Reheat on the stovetop if necessary and whisk until smooth.
BROCCOLI RABE WITH OIL AND GARLIC -- Broccoli di Rabe all' Aglio E Olio
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound broccoli rabe
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
Salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup (or as needed) water
METHOD:
Sometimes you see broccoli rabe cut into little pieces, but I like to serve the whole stems with the leaves attached. If you peel and trim them the way I describe on page 000, the stalks will cook at about the same rate as the leaves. Broccoli rabe is a vegetable I like al dente. By that I don't mean really crunchy, but with some texture left to it.
To trim the broccoli rabe, first cut off the tough ends of the stems. Then, holding a stem with the florets in hand, nick a little piece of the end of the stem with a paring knife and pull the little piece of the stem towards you, peeling the steam partially. Continue working your way around the stem until it is peeled. As you peel the stem, some of the large tough outer leaves will also be removed; discard those as well.
Repeat with the remaining stems. Wash the trimmed broccoli rabe in a sink full of cold water, swishing the stems gently to remove all dirt from between the leaves. Let the leaves sit a minute or two undisturbed to allow the dirt to settle to the bottom of the sink, then lift the broccoli rabe from the water with your hands or a large skimmer. Drain in a colander.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scatter the garlic over the oil and cook, shaking the pan, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Carefully lay the broccoli rabe into the oil, season lightly with salt and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Stir and toss to distribute the seasonings.
Pour 1/4 cup water into the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover the skillet tightly and cook, lifting the lid to turn the stalks occasionally, until the broccoli rabe is tender. Taste and season with additional salt and crushed red pepper if necessary. Serve hot.