- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs (see note
below)
- 1 cup water or broth
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 1 onion, peeled and minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (scant)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2
cloves fresh garlic, minced
I use a food processor to chop up the dry
bread first (about 4 slices, toast may be
used), and then follow with the carrots,
onion and garlic. It can all be done by hand
though. The crumbs can be made by placing
the bread in an extra bread bag, covering it
with a towel and using a hammer to pound it
into oblivion. The carrots can be shredded
on a cheese shredder, and the onion and
garlic may be chopped by hand. Either way,
believe me, all this work is well worth the
effort.
In any case, get out a large bowl. Put the
hamburger, bread crumbs, water or broth,
prepared vegetables and seasoning into the
bowl. Start mixing and mashing everything
together with your hands. Don't be
squeamish, you can wash them off in a few
minutes. Continue to mix and mash until
everything is uniformly distributed, and the
water is fully incorporated. Press the
mixture into a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, or any
pan which will hold a full two quarts.
Smooth out the top so it will be pretty. Now
you can wash your hands. Bake this at 350°
for at least an hour, if the meat was at
room temperature, 1-1/2 hours if it was
still cold from the refrigerator. Remove the
meatloaf from the oven and allow it to sit
for a couple of minutes to firm up. Drain
off the fat into the dog's food bowl. Serve
it in thick slices to hungry grateful folks.
Serves 8.
NOTE: The bread crumbs are not written in
stone. Depending on what I have available, I
have substituted dry oatmeal, cracker
crumbs, and crushed cornflakes with
reasonable results. Usually I use half
crumbs and half oatmeal, but the best
results come from using all dried bread
crumbs. The main thing is to look in the
cupboard and use what you have. If nothing
else is available, use four slices of fresh
bread torn into small bits.
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