GROUND-MEAT MIX

By ajiann

This yields enough for two of the recipes that follow. (You can double it to make all four.) This versatile mixture can also be frozen on its own, so you can com¬plete the recipes another time.

Ingredients

• 4 slices white bread,
• torn into large pieces
• 1/2 cupwholemilk
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large egg
• Coarse salt and
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds ground chuck
• (80 percent to 85 percent lean)
• 1 1/4 pounds ground pork
• (80 percent to 85 percent lean)

Preparation

Step 1

Put bread in a food processor until medium-coarse crumbs form (you should have 3 cups bread-crumbs). Transfer to a bowl. Stir in milk; let stand for io minutes.
2. Meanwhile, purée garlic and onion until smooth. Pulse in egg, 2~ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper to combine.
3. Mix garlic mixture into bread-crumb mixture. Add beef and pork, and mix until just barely combined; do not overmix. Divide mixture into 2 portions, and continue with variations.

MAKE AHEAD MEAT MIXTURE CAN
BE REFRIGERATED ~OR UP TO I DAY
OR FROZEN FOR UP TO 1 MONTH.
THAW IN REFRIGERATOR OVERNIGHT.

THEN PROCEED WITH RECIPES.