1452. BACON-WRAPPED MEATLOAF and BLACK TRUFFLE-SAFFRON MACARONI and CHEESE

Meatloaf

2 lbs ground meat (we used 1 lb of ground chuck, 80% lean, and 1 lb of spicy pork sausage)
2 slices of wheat bread, crumbled
2 eggs
2 tablespoons ketchup or to taste
1 large clove minced garlic
1 1/4 cup sliced onion (sweated)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Worcestershire sauce to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
salt and black pepper to taste

Mix meat, eggs, breat, ketchup, garlic, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper with hands in a large bowl. Meanwhile, sweat onions until translucent but not brown. Allow onions to cool and add to meat-mixture. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and move to refrigerator.

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Black Truffle-Saffron Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb elbow macaroni
1 lb extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 oz Romano cheese
4 oz Asiago cheese
8 oz organic heavy cream
3 cups organic whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 small black truffle
pinch saffron threads
white pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste
salt and black pepper to taste

Boil macaroni in a large amount of salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Over medium-low heat, whisk flour into butter, making a roux. Whisk heavy cream and milk into roux until thoroughly combined. Add saffron. Add cheese slowly, whisking constantly. Adding the cheese too fast or slacking on the whisk will result in a gross, lumpy disaster. Add shaved truffle, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Fold macaroni into cheese sauce.

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Bacon wrapped meatloaf and black truffle-saffron macaroni and cheese

Meatloaf (recipe above)
Black truffle-saffron macaroni and cheese (recipe above)
8 slices apple wood smoked bacon

Preheat oven to 375f. Lay bacon across the width of a loaf pan. The bacon should be long enough to drape over the sides of the pan while lying flat across the bottom. If this is unclear, see the picture below. Press a layer of meat into the bottom of the pan, on top of the bacon. This layer should fill exactly 1/3 of the loaf pan. Scoop some of the macaroni and cheese into the loaf pan, making sure to press out any air bubbles. This layer should also fill 1/3 of the loaf pan. Form a slab of meat in the approximate size and shape of the remaining 1/3 of the loaf pan. Transfer the slab to the loaf pan. Add or remove meat as necessary to ensure a snug fit. Fold strips of bacon back over the top of the meatloaf. Roast until internal temperature reads 160f.

Note: It may be necessary to pull the loaf out every 30 minutes or so to drain the fat. This keeps the loaf from turning into a greasy mess.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Beyond the Zero: The art and science of food, photography and web zen