Ingredients
Method
1.Put onion, garlic and butter in a small frying pan and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Cool. Put the crumbs in a small bowl, pour on milk and soften for 15 minutes.
2.Put fennel seeds, allspice, salt, thyme, tomato concentrate and cheese together in a large bowl. Add cooled onion and garlic, scraping in all the butter, then add soaked crumbs and eggs. Mix together then add minced meats and water. Quickly mix together with your hands, just until everything is mixed in; over-mixing will condense the mixture and make the texture of the finished meatloaf too firm. The mixture should be sloppy-ish (if it is too firm it will be dry to eat – add a little more water if necessary).
3.Put a large piece of plastic food wrap on a clean bench. Lay strips of bacon over plastic wrap, keeping them close together. Put meat mixture on top and shape it into a log. Use the plastic wrap to help bring the bacon strips up around the sides of the meat.
4.Carefully transfer to a shallow ovenproof dish (approx. 25cm x 16cm) lined with baking paper, turning loaf over so ends of bacon strips are underneath, pulling away the plastic wrap. Chill for 20 minutes.
5.Preheat oven to 175°C. Mix brown sugar, mustard and ketchup in a small bowl. Bake meatloaf for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and increase heat to 210°C. Pour off any accumulated fatty liquid.
6.Spread the tomato ketchup mix over the meatloaf. Return meatloaf to oven and cook for 15-20 minutes more until brown. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes or more before slicing.
Leftover meatloaf is delicious cold the next day, or reheat slices by frying in a hot buttered pan until golden.
Note
