Medium
6
Published 2019
I’ve published my third book with my friend and colleague, Brian Polcyn, exploring pâté, typically ground and seasoned meat baked and served cold. In the book, Brian wanted to include something he referred to as a raised pie, common in British cookery. I’ve long made my Uncle Bill’s pork pie, ground pork around which dough is formed free-style, which is a version of raised pie, a recipe that hails from Shropshire. But Brian created a similar effect that’s much easier to shape and cook and serve: rolling dough around the meat rather than creating a traditional pie shape.
Here is a deep, rich meat loaf, with beef and pork and an egg panade (plus egg wash for the dough, if you’re using it). The 3-2-1 dough will work for this preparation, but I prefer a hot-water dough; cooked this way, it’s especially crisp and flaky, plus it’s a snap to make. It should rest for 20 to 40 minutes, so consider making the dough after you get the vegetables sautéing and before you begin the meat loaf.
Of course, you can shape this into a loaf and bake it as a traditional meat loaf (see the instructions for this in the Note). Either way, make a beef gravy and serve with peas and mashed potatoes for a classic Americana dinner. This is one of those preparations that’s even better the following day, either cold (Bánh Mì version of the classic meat loaf sandwich) or reheated in the microwave or oven.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the onion and stir. Add
Pour the remaining
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, cream, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, bread crumbs, and remaining
Put the beef and pork in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (this can be mixed using a sturdy wood spoon or spatula if you don’t have a mixer). Add the parsley, thyme, and tomato paste. Add the panade and the chilled vegetable mixture and paddle for 1 minute, adding the wine-gelatin mixture as you do, until all the ingredients are combined and the meat has taken on a furry or tacky appearance.
Roll out the dough into a rectangle ¼ inch/6 millimeters thick; it should be about 14 inches/35 centimeters by 12 inches/30 centimeters. Lay the bacon across the center of the dough, up and down rather than side to side—slightly overlapping. The idea is to wrap the meat loaf in the bacon completely so that the bacon creates a barrier between the meat’s moisture and the surrounding dough.
Shape the meat mixture into a log along the length of the bacon strips—it should be about 10 inches/25 centimeters long and the diameter of a soup can. Fold the bacon over it to encase the meat. Fold the top of the dough up and over the meat, then fold the bottom up, trimming as necessary so that you can then pinch the edges together to seal the dough. Roll the meat pie onto the prepared baking sheet, seam side down. Use scissors or a paring knife to cut steam holes across the top, brush it with the egg wash, and
© 2019 All rights reserved. Published by Abrams Books.