russett (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 cup
canned tomato or pasta sauce
2 tablespoons
dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons
distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons
Dijon mustard
1 pound
lean ground beef
1 small
onion, grated
1 large
egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup
fresh white bread crumbs
1 teaspoon
coarse salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon
fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
1.
Set the oven at 375 degrees. Rub a 9-by-5-inch pyrex loaf pan with oil.
2.
In a saucepan fitted with a steamer insert, steam potatoes over several inches of boiling water, covered, over high heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender but not falling apart. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly.
3.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar and mustard.
4.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add half the tomato mixture and stir well.
5.
Place the meat loaf in the prepared pan, aptting down to flatten the surface.
6.
Carefully, toss the poatoes and the remaining tomato mixture in a bowl. Arrange the potatoes so they overlap on the meatloaf. Pour any remaining sauce from the bowl on top. Set the leat loaf on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills.
7.
Bake for 1 1/4 hours, or until the juices are bubbling and the potatoes are crusy at the edges. Remove the meat loaf from the oven, let it settle for 5 minutes, then cut into thick slices and serve.
... an excerpt of:
"The Way We Cook" (Houghton Mifflin)
click on the cover to see it at Amazon.com
