I’m often asked to give a new take on a traditional dish. Upscaling something as basic as meatloaf is a fun challenge and I took it on with my mom’s assistance. Together, she and I put together this rolled meatloaf stuffed with parmesan cheese, spinach and prosciutto, and covered with a braided latticework of bacon. The finishing touch is a portobello mushroom sauce made with red wine, beef stock and juices from the meatloaf. It’s definitely a new look for an old favorite.
Rolled Meatloaf with Spinach and Prosciutto
serves 8
Ingredients
Meatloaf
1 lb Ground Sirloin
1 lb Ground Pork
1 sm Onion, finely chopped
1 red Pepper, finely chopped
1 Celery Stalk, finely chopped
2 coves Garlic, peeled smashed and finely minced
2 tsp Fresh Oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
5 oz container Shredded Parmesan Cheese, about 2 cups
1/3 lb Prosciutto, sliced paper thin
10 oz Fresh Spinach
1/4 cu Water
13-14 slices of Bacon
Parchment or Butcher Paper
1/2 tbl Olive Oil
Aluminum Foil
Sauce
2 slices Bacon, finely chopped (this bacon can some from the scraps of that used to cover the loaf)
2 tbl Shallots, finely minced
4oz Baby Portobello Mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2 cu Red Wine (cabernet, merlot or shiraz)
1/2 cu Pan Drippings from Cooked Meatloaf
2 tbl All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 cu Beef Stock
Method
Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add 1/4 cup of water and the spinach and stir until spinach fully breaks down. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, squeeze out as much water as possible and then roughly chop on a cutting board. Place chopped spinach in a paper towel and squeeze again to remove most of the remaining liquid. Separate from paper towel and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, onion, red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well. Roll out a sheet of parchment or butcher paper on a work surface. Spread olive oil over the surface. Transfer the ground meat mixture to the paper and spread it out to form a 9” x 12” rectangle.
Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the rectangle covering it as evenly as possible. Top the cheese with the spinach. then layer the prosciutto over the spinach, leaving about a 1” strip exposed along both 9” sides. Starting at one of those exposed sides, roll the rectangle onto itself using the butcher paper to assist to create a rolled loaf. Place the loaf seam side down and shape it a bit so that it’s a uniform size. Layer strips of bacon side by side across the top at an angle. Starting at one corner, lay a piece of bacon at the opposite angle over the first set of strips, but lift of every other piece of bacon to start a weaving pattern. Continue laying additional strips interlacing them with the first layer until you’ve covered the loaf in a weaved pattern of bacon. Cut excess bacon at the bottom and tuck small portions under the loaf. Set aside the scraps to use in the sauce. Press the loaf again to shape it into a nice uniform size.
Line a 9”x13” baking pan with aluminum and carefully place the meatloaf in the center. Insert a meat thermometer in the center of the loaf and place it in the oven. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Remove from oven and carefully pour drippings in to a container. Place a piece of aluminum over the meatloaf and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.
Make the sauce. Stir flour into 1/2 cup of beef broth until fully dissolved and set aside. Heat bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until it starts to render its fat. Add mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms become tender, about 4 minutes. Add wine and increase heat to medium high. Sauté until most of the wine has been reduced. Add flour mixture and cook for about 2 minutes. Add meatloaf pan juices and beef stock and boil, stirring often, until mixture reduces and thickens. about 6-8 minutes.
To serve, slice meatloaf and place on serving plates. Ladle sauce on top. This dish is also great served over mashed potatoes flavored with a bit of sour cream and horseradish.
If you have any comments or questions, please send me an email at wayne@waynesweekend.com or follow me on Facebook or Twitter.
