Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

The original recipe is from Gourmet magazine. I have tweaked it here and there. This meatloaf is sweet, smokey and oh so good.

1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white or wheat bread)
1/3 cup whole milk
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium stalk celery , finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 pound bacon (about 4 slices), chopped
1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1 1/2 lbs ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 pound ground pork
2 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley





Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add to bread-crumb mixture.

Finely chop bacon and prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.

Pack mixture into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan.

Pour both cans of tomato sauce over top of meat loaf.

Bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.