Buffaloaf (Buffalo and Pancetta Meatloaf)

It's been a busy couple of weeks in my kitchen.  I got a pressure cooker and a chef's knife for my birthday, so I've been playing with both of them and thoroughly enjoying them.  I've made a couple of new recipes...one was really not very good (chocolate hummus, don't ask) and the other will be getting posted when I have a chance to take pictures (dulce de leche).  In the meantime, we couldn't believe that this recipe wasn't on my blog.  It's one of our favorite meatloafs, and apparently I haven't made it since I started posting recipes here.  Today, that changes!  I present buffaloaf, in all of its glory.

Buffaloaf

Ingredients:

• ¾ pound sliced pancetta (Italian unsmoked cured bacon)
• 2 medium onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 celery ribs
• 1 carrot
• ½ cup + ½ cup ketchup (separated)
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups fine fresh bread crumbs
• 2 pounds ground buffalo (or lean ground beef)
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Coarsely chop pancetta and cook in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat until crisp and golden, transferring to paper towels to drain. Cool pancetta and reserve fat in skillet. Finely chop cooked pancetta. Finely chop onions and mince garlic. Cut celery and carrot into ¼–inch dice.
2. In skillet cook onions, garlic, celery, and carrots in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened.
3. In a large bowl stir together chopped pancetta, onion mixture, ½ cup ketchup, salt, and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs, buffalo, and eggs until just combined (do not overmix). In a shallow 13- by 9-inch baking pan, form mixture into a 10- by 5-inch oval loaf.
4. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, vinegar, and ½ cup ketchup.  Brush half of the mixture over the loaf.
5. Bake meat loaf in middle of oven for 40 minutes.  Brush the rest of the glaze on the loaf.  Cook an additional 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted 2 inches into center registers 160°F. Turn oven to broil, and cook until glaze begins to bubble, about 2 minutes.  Remove from oven and let meat loaf stand 10 minutes before serving.

 

Notes:
This recipe is a combination of the best parts of 3 different meatloaf recipes I found several years ago.  Don't skip broiling for the last 2 minutes, it makes the glaze ten times better!