Great Mushroom Meatloaf

I got this from Pat. She says it came from the San Jose Mercury News, but to be honest, I don't know. I find this recipe interesting because it uses dry tea to add a smoky undertone to the meatloaf.

It makes a lot and we liked it even better the second day cold. A slice with ancho chili mayonnaise on whole wheat bread was fantastic. Personally, I like to make this a day before a picnic and take some thick sliced sandwiches to the party.

The mix might seem dry when you form it into a loaf, but don't add any more liquid to the mess; you don't want this too loose when you form the loaf.

Time: 1 hour work, 1 hour in the oven
Yield: 8 thick sandwich slices

A. porcini mushrooms, dried 0.5 cup Soak in 0.5 cup hot water for 25 minutes. Discard the stems. Save the liquid.
shitake mushrooms 6 ounces  
  crimini mushrooms 6 ounces  

Heat the oven to 350.

Chop the mushrooms, dried and fresh, coarsely.  

B. olive oil 2 teaspoons  
yellow onions 2 medium Finely chopped.
garlic 1 tablespoon Minced.

Combine olive oil and onions in a large sauce pan and cook over medium heat until they release their liquid - about 6 minutes.

Add garlic and cook one minute more.

Add the mushrooms, cover and cook until they wilt.

Uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring frequently, until all the liquid is gone and the vegetables caramelize. This will take about 15 minutes. Let them get really brown.

C. white wine 0.5 cup   
tomato paste 2 tablespoons  
lapsang suchong tea, dried 1 teaspoon About the contents of one tea bag.
  Reserved liquid from rehydrating the mushrooms in step A

Add these ingredients to the pot.

Simmer until the liquid is gone.

Take off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

D. white bread  5 slices Remove and discard the crusts. Tear into pieces.
milk, non-fat 0.3 cup  
eggs 3 large  
  ground beef, 90% lean 1.5 pounds  
  ground pork, lean 12 ounces  
  Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 3 tablespoons Grated.
  mushroom mix from step C  
  kosher salt 3 teaspoons  
  ground black pepper 1.5 teaspoons  

Put the white bread and milk in a large bowl. Using a fork, mash the white bread until it becomes a paste.

Add the eggs, beef, pork, and cheese. Blend this well using your hands.

Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Place the mixture into a roasting pan and shape it into a loaf. Don't use a cookie sheet as the loaf will leak some juices as it roasts. 

Bake for 25 minutes.

Now increase the temperature to 400 and bake 30 minutes more.

Remove from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 150. Let the loaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 

I highly recommend serving it with ancho chili mayonnaise

Ummmmmm.