Name: Isthmian-style Meat Loaf (Pastel de Carne del Istmo)
Yield: About 10 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 cups plain dry bread crumbs; 3 garlic cloves, minced; One 5-ounce can evaporated milk; 1 pound lean ground pork; 1 pound lean ground beef; 3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley (leaves only); 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1 tablespoon prepared mustard; 3 tablespoons mayonnaise; One 3½-ounce can deviled ham; 2 canned pickled jalapeño chiles, seeds removed, minced; ½ cup blanched almonds; One 2½-ounce jar pimientos, drained and finely chopped; 2 canned chipotle chiles en adobo, minced; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 4 ounces smoked sausage (I use kielbasa), finely chopped; 4 ounces boiled ham, cut into ⅓-inch dice; 4 ounces slab bacon, or 2 to 3 thick slices, cut into ⅓-inch dice; ½ cup brined green olives (one 3-ounce jar), either pitted or pimiento-stuffed, finely chopped

Preparation info

About
10
servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Food and Life of Oaxaca

By Zarela Martínez

Published 1997

About

No one can say that this meat loaf is boring! It absolutely explodes with intense flavors, including various smoked, canned, or pickled ingredients that are popular in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This dish is a favorite there at the parties accompanying the velas (patron saints’ fiestas) of the neighborhoods and towns in and around Juchitán.

The demanding part of this dish is dicing and chopping almost a dozen ingredients. Luckily most of them—everything from the olives throu