meatloaf: flavoursome, juicy and all kinds of good

Credit where credit’s due, the inspiration for today’s recipe came from the amazing cooking dream team over at Our Life in Food (you should really check those guys out, they put folks like me to shame. SHAME)

But that’s enough shame for one day (at least until I get home and start eating chocolate before dinner).

I’d been meaning to make meatloaf for a while but never got around to it which makes me a terrible wife cos hubby loves the stuff.

Every so often he’d politely request it and I would nonchalantly reply: “yes dear, I’ll make that sometime” before continuing with whatever it was I was doing at the time (probably eating chocolate before dinner).

hubby *hearts* this, but not as much as he *hearts* me...I hope

But we finally had it and his joy was so apparent that I felt guilty and elated all at the same time. This one will have to go into the regular rota.

I took Our Life in Food’s amazing recipe (which was perfect as is, but I’m meddlesome) added some jalapenos, used nuts instead of coconut flour and replaced the worcestershire sauce with some tamarind.

There’s nothing artifical or yucky (technical term) in this loaf. It’s a very clean, nutritious and filling family meal.

Spicy Bacon and Beef Meatloaf 

Adapted from Our Life in Food

• 1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 small jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 rashers of streaky bacon, finely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 3 tbsps tomato paste
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 tsps tamarind pulp or paste
• 1 tbsp butter

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently fry the onion, garlic, jalapenos and carrots.
2. In a large mixing bowl mash together the bacon, beef, egg and ground nuts. Add in the onion mixture and stir thoroughly til combined.
   

   it may not look that delicious now but just wait...

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the tamarind pulp, tomato paste, water, cumin, paprika and black pepper. Add half of this sauce to the meat mixture and stir.
4. Shape it into a log with your hands and place in a standard 9in loaf tin.
5. Spread the remaining half of the tomato sauce across the top.
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes then turn the oven up to 400 and bake for a further 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.