Ingredients
- Tomato Relish:
- Olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with herbs, drain well
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or 1 tablespoon Dried parsley
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Meat Loaf:
- 3 slices of white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 to 4 bacon slices
Preparation
Step 1
PREHEAT the oven to 350 degrees. Make the Tomato Relish:
COAT a skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic and bay leaves for several minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.
ADD the red peppers and cook them for a few minutes to soften, then add the tomatoes. Adding them at this point allows them to hold their shape and helps keep them from disintegrating.
STIR in the parsley, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer at least 5 minutes to bring the flavors together. Remove from heat. There should be about 4 cups of relish.
MEAT LOAF: Place the torn bread in a bowl and add milk just to cover the bread. Stir the bread in the milk and set aside.
Combine the ground chuck and pork in a large mixing bowl with 11/2 cups relish, eggs and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
SQUEEZE the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. Combine the ingredients (clean hands work best).
LIGHTLY OIL a rimmed baking sheet. Lay a piece of parchment paper on the sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the parchment paper and form into a 9-inch-by-4-inch rectangle.
FORM a slight depression on top of the loaf and fill it with 1 cup of the remaining tomato relish. Lay the bacon lengthwise across the top.
BAKE for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meat loaf is firm, rotating the pan while baking so it will brown evenly. Serve the remaining relish on the side.