Super Yummy Meatloaf

A friend of mine recommended Nigella Lawson's meatloaf to me a few years ago and the other night I finally got aroung to making it. I don't think I have ever eaten meatloaf before in my life, we certainly didn't grow up with it, which is suprising as mince in every other incarnation found its way to our dinner table. My only meatloaf references were from American television and that was enough for me to know that meatloaf was something I could probably do without for the rest of my life.

I am so glad I put my meatloaf prejudice to one side, because Nigella Lawson's meatloaf is super moist and tasty. We served it with cauliflower cheese and the two paired perfectly, also we just bought the heat and pour gravy which also worked.

Here is the recipe, anything involving five tablespoons of duck fat, or butter is a winner in my books. If you are wondering who Ed is, he is a literary agent and friends with Nigella (lucky him!). The recipe says one large roasting pan. but I did it in a log shaped cake tin.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 4 onions, 1 pound
• 5 tablespoons duck fat or butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (recommended: Lea and Perrins)
• 2 pounds ground beef, preferably organic
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 10 ounces (approx. 20 slices) bacon
• 1 large roasting pan

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and then boil 3 of the eggs for 7 minutes. Refresh them in cold water.

Peel and chop the onions, and heat the duck fat in a thick-bottomed frying pan. Cook the onions gently sprinkled with the salt, for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions are golden and catching in the fat. Remove to a bowl to cool.


Put the Worcestershire sauce and ground beef into a bowl, and when the onion mixture is not hot to the touch, add to the bowl and work everything together with your hands.


Add the remaining raw egg and mix again before finally adding the breadcrumbs.


Divide the mixture into 2, and in the pan, make the bottom half of the meatloaf by patting half the beef mixture into a flattish ovoid shape approximately 9 inches long. Peel and place the 3 hard-boiled eggs in a row down the middle of the meatloaf.


Shape the remaining mound over the top of the eggs and pat into a solid loaf shape. Compress the meatloaf to get rid of any holes, but don't overwork it.

Cover the meatloaf with slices of bacon, as if it were a terrine, tucking the bacon ends underneath the meatloaf as best you can to avoid its curling up as it cooks.


Bake for 1 hour, until the juices run clear and once it's out of the oven let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes. This should make it easier to slice. When slicing, do it generously, so everyone gets some egg. Pour meat juices over as you serve or do what you will gravy-wise.