Meatloaf & Rice Pilaf

I like meatloaf. I remember that there used to be a lot of funny papers jokes about it and I could never understand why.

Take equal parts of ground chuck and ground pork. Throw in some ground veal if you'd like. Mix in herbs and spices of your choice: Oregano, thyme, pepper, parsley, tarragon all work. Add one egg for every pound of meat and enough bread crumbs to make a reasonably dry mix.

The big difference between meatloaf and the other two common ground meat foods, hamburgers and meatballs, is density. Meatloaf is much denser than either. Of course, the error usually goes the other way: hamburgers and meatballs are usually made way too dense from over-kneading.

Form the meat into a loaf. Brown thoroughly on all sides (remember the 2nd Law: Brown food tastes better!) in a hot skillet then cook in a 375F oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 160, about 45 - 60 minutes.Let the loaf rest for about ten minutes and slice with a serrated knife.

I'm really liking arborio rice these days. Remember the 3rd Law: Water is for washing!