Recipe: New York Meatloaf (using ground beef and pork sausage)

NEW YORK MEATLOAF

"How clever is this -- a hand formed meatloaf that comes with a built-in tomato sauce. Serve hot, or cool and serve in huge bread rolls for lunch."

4 slices bread, crusts removed
1/2 cup milk
1 pound ground beef
8 ounces pork sausage meat
1 leek, trimmed and minced
1 red bell pepper, minced
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Sea sat and ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce or Dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Green beans or watercress (optional, for serving)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Soak the bread in the milk for a minute or two, then lightly squeeze dry. Combine the bread, beef, sausage meat, leek, red pepper, parsley, sea salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl. Knead with your hands until well mixed, then add the beaten egg and squish well until a little gluey. Form the mixture into a loaf shape with your hands.

Place the meatloaf in a roasting pan lined with parchment paper. Strew the canned crushed tomatoes and cherry tomatoes along the top and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and oregano.

Bake until cooked through, about 1 hour. Slice the meatloaf thickly and serve with green beans or watercress, if desired.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Good Cooking by Jill Dupleix, 2005