Bacon-Wrapped Beef and Pork Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180 °C. Tear the bread into very fine crumbs and soak them in the milk for 5 min. Fresh crumbs hold more juice than dry ones and give a much softer loaf.

   Add in this stepWhite sandwich bread, crusts off, torn into fine crumbs 45 gMilk 60 ml

2. Melt the butter in a 20 cm pan over medium heat and cook the very finely chopped mushrooms for 6 min, until all their liquid has evaporated and they are browned. Add the chopped onion, garlic and thyme and cook 4 min more, then spread on a wide plate and cool completely. The mushrooms add deep savoury flavour.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter 15 gButton or cremini mushrooms 100 gOnion ½Garlic cloves 2Fresh thyme leaves, chopped 1 tsp

   medium heat

3. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, soaked bread, cooled mushroom mixture, egg, Parmesan, parsley, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper, mixing lightly with your fingertips. To check the seasoning, cook a teaspoon of the mix in a small pan on medium heat for 1 min 30 sec and taste it; never taste the raw mixture.

   Add in this stepGround beef 200 gGround pork 120 gEgg, beaten (for a half, beat 1 egg and use half) 1Grated Parmesan 20 gChopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tbspWorcestershire sauce 1½ tspDijon mustard 1 tspSalt ¾ tspBlack pepper ½ tsp

   medium heat

4. Lay a sheet of parchment on the board and line up the bacon slices side by side, slightly overlapping. Shape the meat into a loaf about 16×9 cm on top, wrap the bacon around it and roll it seam side down. Set it on a rack over a baking tray so the fat drips away and the bottom stays crisp.

   Add in this stepThin-cut bacon slices 5

5. Bake at 180 °C for 30 min.

6. Meanwhile, simmer the ketchup, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and pepper flakes in a small saucepan on low heat for 3 min, stirring, until glossy and syrupy.

   Add in this stepKetchup (for the glaze) 3 tbspBrown sugar 1½ tbspBalsamic vinegar 1½ tspRed pepper flakes 1 pinch

   low heat

7. Brush the glaze thickly over the loaf, raise the oven to 220 °C and bake 10 min more, until the bacon is crisp, the glaze is sticky and caramelised and the centre reads 71 °C.

8. Let it rest for 8 min, then slice 2 cm thick with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.