Indeed, some dishes more than others encourage reflections, which, at least in my case, range from reviewing the tasks for the next 48 hours to establishing a new world order based on Monica’s rules.<\/p>\n
Meatloaf is a recipe requiring minimal attention, leaving thoughts free to flutter around the kitchen.<\/p>\n
The home meatloaf<\/h4>\n
There were two kinds of meatloaf at home: the leftover version and the more refined, event-style version.
\nWhile the first type of meatloaf arose from the need to reshape leftovers, the second required the purchase of specific ingredients and a recipe to follow.<\/p>\n
Perhaps because, in both cases, the shape remains that of a cylinder to be sliced, I’ve always found it difficult to notice the differences between a humble meatloaf and a deluxe one.<\/p>\n
Even when the mixture is nobler than a mere reunion of fridge leftovers, and perhaps there’s a filling to emphasize social differences, I’ve always thought of meatloaf as one of the wisest dishes in home cooking for its ability to keep together ingredients into a flavor more significant than the sum of its parts.<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s not a dish to be despised, as Pellegrino Artusi wrote (recipe 315, <\/span>The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well<\/span><\/em>) about my little domestic hero. By the way, meatloaf has an ancient history and most likely predates meatballs since it was already known at medieval tables.<\/span><\/p>\n At my house, sometimes meatloaf was called salame matto<\/em> (crazy salami) when the mixture included steal bread instead of meat. In fact, the one from the cucina povera is probably one of my favorites.<\/p>\n Today’s version is not that whatever I will find in the fridge. I’ve chosen a stuffed version. Suppose you decide to use it to celebrate the beauty of life offered by an anonymous Wednesday, I won’t stop and certainly won’t judge you.<\/p>\n For days, I’ve been craving meatloaf, and more than that, I wanted to get my hands into the mixture. There’s a certain satisfaction in blending the ingredients together.<\/p>\n Usually, I prepare and weigh all the ingredients, then place them, one by one, into a large bowl. Meatloaf is a roomy dish; why use a small bowl? Whenever I use a small one, my hands are clumsy in the limited space, and everything spills out, and I get frustrated.<\/p>\n Come back to my large bowl, I start by breaking the yolks with a fork and gently smashing them here and there, taking my time with no rush. I set the fork down, slip my fingers into the mixture, and knead. At first, I can smell every single component of the new family taking shape. Gradually, the scent becomes more complex and layered.<\/p>\n And even if you might doubt it raw, once cooked, you’ll be sure that meatloaf is one of those rare examples where the final result exceeds the sum of its ingredients.<\/p>\n It’s always a good idea to cook it at least one or two days ahead and store it in the fridge.<\/p>\n You can personalize my stuffed meatloaf recipe with a mixed or different type of ground meat (for the salame matto<\/strong>, check out the recipe on the blog). I chose ground capocollo (pork neck). You may have had pork neck steak, the slightly fatty cut, that’s why I chose it. It loses its fat during cooking, but the mixture remains soft (sometimes, meatloaf turns out a bit dry after being sliced).<\/p>\n As usual, at this point, I can only say buona cucina!Stuffed meatloaf by Monica<\/h4>\n
\nMonica<\/p>\nHere are the recipes dedicated to meatloaf on the blog to give you a sense of my love for it.<\/h5>\n
![\"Stuffed](\"https:\/\/www.tortelliniandco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9039.jpeg\" "\\"Stuffed")
<\/p>\n![\"Stuffed](\"https:\/\/www.tortelliniandco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_9046-160x160.jpeg\")
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