Mid-Week Meatloaf

When it comes to the taste spectrum, Tommy and I are very different.  I prefer the sweeter tastes while Tommy is a savory kind of guy (I blame it on our cultural up bringing).  Anyways, my ice cream response to comfort his lower back injury (comforting for me, not for him) on Wednesday night, was a little lack luster.  This is when he mentioned that he had been craving meat loaf all week!

I couldn't resist, memories of growing up in my mother's kitchen came flowing back.  My dad being a meat and potatoes kind of guy, we ate meatloaf and mashed potatoes on a fairly regular basis.  Mom's recipe is super simple: ketchup, bread crumbs, ground serloin, egg, salt and pepper to taste.  She would always adorn the top with green peppers, something of which I was never a big fan.

I headed straight for Whole foods for the ingredients.  With my current diet restrictions on meat (only sustainably raised and slaughtered), I needed a store where I could be at least 50% sure that the meat and other ingredients were up to my standards.  Within the last few months Whole Foods has started labeling it's meat based on the way it was raised, leaving their shoppers with no excuses. I buy meat which is labeled humanely raised.  This means the cow was fed an all vegetarian diet, no anti-biotics, completely grass fed, and had no restrictions on it's life.  I would much rather buy straight from the farmer, but when that isn't possible, Whole Foods is my next in line.  For the other ingredients, I bought organic.  This label, although it says nothing about growing practices and packaging, means that the product has to meet a certain set of very strict and regulated guidelines.

I am happy to report that we had a delicious dinner and I a very happy patient!

Mom's updated meatloaf
1# ground beef
1# ground pork
1/2 large onion
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cage free egg
Ketchup to taste (around 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste
Thyme and oregano to taste

Heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Dump all of your ingredients into a medium mixing bowl and knead with your hands until just combined (kneading to much will make the meat tough). Pour your mixture into a loaf pan and spread evenly.  Bake the loaf for 30 minutes, it is done when the center is cooked through and no longer pink. Let cool for 10 minutes and pour out the extra fat.  Serve with mashed potatoes and a heaping pile of broccoli.