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vhm loaf
A meat loaf is a big meat dish for a dinner with friends and family as well as for a brunch buffett. You may create different delicious meat loafs by just changing the ingredients: today we’re dealing with a meat loaf with lots of Mediterranean herbs and vegetables!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
ingredients:
  • 300 ml milk
  • 50 g fine breadcrumbs
  • 800 g minced meat 100% beef
  • about 250 g carrots
  • about 100 g frozen peas
  • 3-4 spring onions
  • 1 can tomato purée about 80 g
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped thyme
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped oregano
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
  • 100 g roughly grated pecorino
  • 1 tsp salt at least
  • 1 tsp finely ground black pepper
equipment:
  • a casserole 32 cm / 1900 ml
how to:
  • Mix milk & breadcrumbs & let it rest.
  • Preheat the oven to 160° C w/ fan.
  • Clean, trim & chop the carrots - nice little bits!
  • Clean, trim & chop the spring onions.
  • Clean, trim & chop the thyme leaves, the oregano leaves & the rosemary needles.
  • Add pressed garlic & salt & pepper.
  • Grate the pecorino.
  • Roll up your sleeves & start kneading: minced meat, eggs, herbs, vegetables, pecorino...
  • Finally add the milk soaked breadcrumbs.
  • Fill the mess in a casserole & bake it for at least 60 min.
  • There will be some liquid in the casserole (around the compact meat loaf): just pour it away - at once!
Notes
Minced meat: I worked w/ organic minced meat; therefore the minced meat was rather dry i. e. only very few water emerged when cooking the minced meat.
Vegetables: I used only raw vegetables; the carrots became al dente. If you like your carrots soft you need to put the carrot bits in boiling water for 4-5 min before adding to the meat mess. Drain well.
Liquid: The vegetables will release water when cooking. Just pour it away when the meat loaf leaves the oven. If you don’t do so the meat loaf will get soaked & sludgy.
Frozen peas: You may also start w/ fresh peas. The net weight after trimming shall be about 100 g.
Herbs: Discard the stems & stalks before chopping. The amounts are a suggestion. When making the meat loaf I was short of fresh oregano, but had more than enough rosemary & thyme. Feel free to change the proportions of the chopped herbs.
You may serve the meat loaf at once: it’s very soft & a little crumbly.
You may let it cool down & store in the fridge for some hours. The meat loaf gets more packed then & may be cut easily into slices.
The meat loaf may be served hot, warm & cool as well.
Overall the meat loaf may be stored in the fridge for at least 4-5 days.
Sorry: no experiences w/ freezing!