March 3, 2010: 72 Market Street Meatloaf

I was hunting for new catering ideas when I found this recipe in "The New Basics Cookbook," written by the Silver Palette's founders Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. Hollywood stars, Tony Bill and Dudley Moore, opened 72 Market Street in Venice, CA in the Eighties bringing sophisticated and updated versions of American fare to an upscale and glittery clientele. When they asked their chef to create a meatloaf to add to the menu, it seems they were at the cusp of the comfort food trend we are experiencing today; think Mac 'n Cheese and cupcakes! Market Street Meatloaf is more complex than most versions our moms made back in the day. (The cumin lends a hint of the Southwest.) But, it is worth every ounce of effort!. (My catering clients were kind of lucky, though; all they had to do is order it from my Karen's Kitchen frozen dinners menu and reheat it.)

Today, the restaurant and Karen's Kitchen Catering have shuttered, but you can still savor a superb 72 Market Street Meatloaf by preparing it in your own kitchen.

MARKET STREET MEATLOAF
From "The New Basics Cookbook" by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

3 T ghee (or unsalted butter)
3/4 cup minced onion
3/4 cup minced scallions
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/4 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 eggs
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup half and half
Sea salt, to taste
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t ground white pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t freshly grated nutmeg
2 pounds lean ground beef chuck
12 ounces sausage meat (not fennel-flavored Italian sausage)
3/4 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the ghee (or butter) in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onions, scallions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened. Set aside. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the ketchup, half and half, and the spices. Add the chuck, sausage, bread crumbs, and the cooled vegetables. Combine the ingredients with your hands until thoroughly blended. With damp hands, form the mixture into a loaf and place in a buttered baking dish. Place the dish inside a larger dish, pouring boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the juices run clear when the loaf is pricked. Remove the baking dish from the larger pan and let it rest 20 minutes before slicing.

*Garlic-mashed potatoes or orange-maple mashed yams are perfect accompaniments. Add a steamed green vegetable, like asparagus or broccoli, for a delicious homemade blue-plate special.