Lunch: Grass-Fed Beef Meatloaf in a Bacon Blanket

Recipe by Kemp Minifie It's good news for America that grass-fed beef is increasingly available in supermarkets. Cattle were meant to eat grass, and they are efficient at converting that green goodness into nutrient-dense meat, rich in heart-healthy omeg

Ingredients

1 cup fresh bread crumbs (ground in food processor from 2 slices of bread)
1/2 cup milk
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 large celery rib, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
1 1/2 pounds ground grass-fed beef (preferably ground once; see Cooks' Notes)
1/2 pound ground pork (preferably shoulder, not lean; and ground once; see Cooks' Notes)
1/2 cup ketchup
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (optional; see Cooks' Notes)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 bacon slices, halved crosswise
Special equipment: A large, heavy rimmed sheet pan or flameproof roasting pan (not glass); instant-read thermometer

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 °F with rack in middle.
Meanwhile, stir together bread crumbs and milk in a large bowl and set aside.
Cook onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in oil with 1 teaspoon salt in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Combine beef, pork, ketchup, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and cooked vegetables with bread crumbs and mix with your hands until vegetables are well distributed and mixture is cohesive.
Form mixture into a 12-inch loaf, about 4 1/2 inches wide, in pan, and lay bacon slices crosswise over it.
Roast in oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160 °F, 40 to 45 minutes.
If the bacon on top isn't crisp, reset oven to broil and broil the meatloaf, 4 to 5 inches from the heat, until bacon is crisp and browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Let meatloaf rest in pan 10 minutes before transferring to a platter.

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