MEATLOAF – RULO KÖFTE

Meatloaf may not be considered as a fancy dish to offer to your guests, but it is an essential comfort food that has its place in almost every family’s recipe book. This one is based on one of my favorite chefs, Oya Emerk’s (www.oyascuisine.com) recipe with some changes based on my personal preferences. You can serve it with mashed potatoes, garlic bread, any pilaf (rice, bulgur, cauliflower) and salad. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Meatloaf:

• 1 onion, chopped into large pieces
• 1 medium carrot, cut into large pieces
• 2-3 small red peppers
• 5-6 mushrooms
• 1 egg
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• 1 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Caramelized Onions:

• 1 large onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut one onion and the carrot into large pieces. Place the onions, carrots, garlic, bell pepper, mushrooms and the egg in a food processor. Chop until you get a smooth mixture, do not puree it.
3. Put the ground beef in a large bowl and add the mixture, gently mix. Add the spices and herbs (salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, crushed red pepper and parsley). Gently knead the mixture. Add the bread crumbs and knead gently making sure they are evenly mixed. It should be soft and moist. Do not over knead to avoid a tough meatloaf. 
4. Wet your hands and shape the meat mixture into a loaf in an oven-proof dish (13×9). 
5. Mix the sauce ingredients well in a small bowl and coat the loaf with it.  Bake the meatloaf for 50 minutes.
6. While the meatloaf is in the oven, prepare the caramelized onions. Sauté onions and sugar in oil until transparent, about 5-6 minutes. When soft, add the soy sauce and salt, remove from heat.
7. When the meatloaf is cooked for 50 minutes, take it out, spread the caramelized onions on top of the loaf and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

Notes:

• When caramelizing the onions, you may skip the sugar and/or the soy sauce.
• If you make a thicker, shorter meatloaf, it will take more time to bake. Check for doneness.

AFİYET OLSUN!    BON APPETIT!

Ingredients

Chop vegetables and egg

Add mixture to meat

Add bread crumbs

Knead all

Form meatloaf

Mix sauce Ingredients

Brush sauce on top

Caramelized onions

Add onions to the top

Meatloaf out of the oven

Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes