Some Like it Hot.

When I look at this week’s haul from the farmers’ market, I can only compare what I brought home to another pair of shoes. Gratuitous, unnecessary, and unlikely to be consumed to their imagined potential.

Last week I left with an excessive stash of poblano peppers, wondering what I would do with all of them. This week, in a moment of reckless imprudence, I added a quart each of cherry bomb, cayenne, and pimiento peppers to my growing pepper problem.

 

I’ll use a whopping two of them here, but, in the mean time, I’ll need to come up with some spicy ideas for the rest of the week. Hmmm.

Today’s recipe is for zesty meatloaf: the answer to what to make that would best complement my new, homemade ketchup. I accidentally forgot to add any salt, but it ended up not needing it, so don’t worry about it unless your sodium tooth is aching.

Here’s what you need:

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium poblano pepper, finely chopped

1 medium cherry bomb pepper, finely chopped

1 medium celery rib, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

½ teaspoon of Aleppo pepper

Olive oil to coat

1½   pounds ground sirloin

½ pound chorizo, ideally fresh from a butcher shop

1 cup Panko

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

⅓ cup of fresh ketchup plus an extra ⅓ cup for basting

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

⅓ cup of cartoned egg whites* (or two whole eggs) *for those of us who don't desire extra eggs in our house

Here’s what to do:

Put the first eight ingredients in a medium skillet and sauté until cooked through. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and ⅓ cup of ketchup and cook an additional minute. Remove from heat and cool.  

Heat oven to 350°.

In a  large bowl, mix with your hands ground beef, Panko, and chorizo (remove casings, if necessary) until thoroughly combined. Stir in vegetable mixture, plus egg whites and parsley and knead with your hands to combine.

Form into a 6 x9” loaf and place in a medium, greased baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, then coat with ⅓ cup of ketchup, and bake for another 40 or more minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve.