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1
The night before youre planning to have a meatloaf dinner, put the meats in a bowl.
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2
Smash the garlic cloves, peel and chop them fine, then, with the flat of your chefs knife, mash them into a paste with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
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3
Chop the shallots and parsley, and crumble the porcini.
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4
Add all these seasonings to the meats, along with the herbes de Provence, the wine, several grindings of your pepper mill, and the remaining salt.
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5
Mix thoroughly with your hands, squishing the meat with your fingers.
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6
When thoroughly mixed, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let macerate for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
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7
The next day, remove the meat from the fridge and pull off a tiny piece.
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8
Cook it quickly in a small skillet, then taste it to see if it needs more seasoning.
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9
If so, add whatever is needed.
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10
Form the meat into a small loaf.
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11
Break the bay leaf into three pieces, and arrange them on top of the loaf; then lay the bacon strip, also cut in thirds, on top.
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12
Transfer the loaf to a medium baking pan.
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13
Rub a little olive oil and salt over the vegetables you want as an accompaniment, and distribute them around the meatloaf.
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14
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 4550 minutes, turning the vegetables once.
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15
Everything is done when the meat looks lightly browned, the bacon a bit crisp, and the veggies tender (the internal temperature of the loaf should be about 150).
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16
Let rest for at least 5 minutes, then cut three or more slices, and arrange on a warm plate, with the vegetables surrounding the meat and the juice poured over.
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17
Leftover meatloaf is good coldbut not overly chilled.
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18
Eaten with a dab of Dijon mustard, little cornichons, and a glass of red wine, it will taste almost like a French country pate.
