Close your eyes and think meatloaf. Chances are you’ll conjure up an image of a warm kitchen in the middle of winter, with the aroma of secret ingredients from your family’s meatloaf wafting through the halls of your memory.
Not for me, though. My meatloaf memories start with the early summer sun’s rays on my skin, the grass under my feet as I walk across the lawn toward a stone table set for a light, refreshing lunch.
Meatloaf – or polpettone as we call it in Italy – is a year-round dish for any season. For once, the family’s palates unite in agreement on this easy and inexpensive dish. But instead of the “baked-and-smothered-in-a-brick-colored- sauce” version, I prefer my polpettone poached – served chilled and flanked by fresh summer salads.
My secret step to expanding meatloaf’s summertime potential is giving it a night’s rest in the refrigerator pressed under some weight. This gives the meatloaf a well-defined yet tender structure similar to a terrine. Present it in thick slices served on a platter or sliced thin enough to use as a cold cut in a sandwich. Here is the recipe.
The Recipe: Cold Poached Meatloaf by Viola Buitoni
Serves 4 to 6 people
Ingredients:
For the poaching stock:
1/2 yellow onion
5 cloves
1 celery rib
1 carrot
3 bay leaves
2 slices of lemon
4 peppercorns
1 handful parsley stems
1 tablespoon salt
For the meatloaf:
2 3/4” thick slices day-old bread
1 cup whole milk
1/2 lb ground pork (or fatty beef, chicken thighs or lamb shoulder)
1/2 lb lean ground beef (or chicken breast, turkey or veal)
2 tablespoon minced shallot
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 egg
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano cheese
Grated nutmeg to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
A few notes before you start:
The meat can be substituted. Just follow the guiding principle of one fatty meat and one lean meat. I prefer pork and beef in equal quantities, but I always tell my students to use what fits the budget that they like.
Parsley, lemon, and nutmeg are a classic combination of readily available ingredients. As you make this recipe part of your repertoire, play with it. Use different citrus; switch the herbs; and experiment with spices from other food cultures to create a version that is uniquely yours.
To make this dish gluten-free, substitute the bread with a boiled potato mashed with milk.
To make this meatloaf recipe dairy-free, use water with a little olive oil instead of milk to soak the bread (or mash the potato). You can also omit the Parmigiano and adjust the rest of the seasonings to compensate.
For a smooth mixture, the ingredients must be kneaded by hand. If you are squeamish about touching raw meat, wear gloves.
To wrap and tie the meatloaf into a sausage shape, I tear old white sheets into washable and reusable rags. Cheesecloth also works. Kitchen twine is best to secure the ends, but you can make do with sewing thread in a pinch.
Use a pot that is at least 12” wide and 5” high so that the meatloaf remains submerged while poaching.
Method: How to make cold poached meatloaf
First, make the poaching stock. Skewer the yellow onion with the cloves. Wash the celery and carrot and cut in large chunks. Transfer the skewers of onion with the celery and carrot into the pot. Add the bay leaves, lemon slices, peppercorns, parsley stems, and salt. Fill 2/3 of the pot with cold water. Bring the poaching stock to a boil while you are preparing the meatloaf.
To mix the meatloaf, remove the bread crust and cut the soft interior into cubes. Place the bread cubes in the whole milk to soak and soften completely. Mash the bread with a fork. Drain using a strainer to eliminate excess milk and then tip the strainer to pour the soaked bread into a bowl.
Add the ground meats, minced shallots, parsley, grated lemon zest, Parmigiano cheese, and egg to the bowl. Mix well, squeezing with your fingers to make sure the two types of meat are combined and the other ingredients and flavors evenly distributed.
Standing close to the bowl, grate the nutmeg over the meat mixture until the fragrance wafts to your nostrils without overwhelming you. Mix to combine once more and sniff. The mixture should smell delicious and delicate: Some of the ingredients will be barely detectable, while others will dominate.
Sprinkle less salt than you think is necessary. Mix and sniff again until you can smell the various ingredients in good balance. It might take 2 or 3 tries. Now add freshly ground black pepper to taste – less for a floral note and more for a spicy kick.
As you are working the mixture for the last time, make sure you press it well to make it compact.
Lay your rug flat on the work surface and drop the meatloaf mixture in the middle. Shape it into a loaf of about 2.5” to 3” in diameter. Tightly roll the rag (or cheesecloth) around the meat, twist one of the ends and secure it with the twine. Grab the other end and squeeze, as you would toothpaste, to compact the meat even further. Twist and tie tightly.
Place the meatloaf package into the boiling poaching stock. Bring the stock back to a boil and then turn the heat down to low. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Uncover and leave in the liquid until cool enough to handle.
Lift the meatloaf and let the excess liquid drip away. Lay it on a baking sheet and sandwich it with another pan of the same size. Place in the refrigerator and weigh the meatloaf down with something heavy – I use my mightiest cooking tomes, but you can get creative. Let rest overnight.
Snip the ties securing the ends of the meatloaf and unroll gently. Cut in 1/2” slices and arrange attractively on a cold platter. You can slice the meatloaf in advance and refrigerate it covered with a dampened towel to keep moist. When ready to serve, garnish with some parsley leaves and lemon slices.
This recipe is lovely accompanied by homemade mayonnaise or salsa verde and steamed or chilled summer vegetables. Salads work especially well too!