Vogue Meat Loaf

I was craving comfort food recently, so I whipped out my old, food-stained collection of recipes and made something I haven’t had in years- Vogue Meat Loaf.

As the name implies, I got this recipe out of a Vogue magazine in the early 90s, but it originated at a restaurant in Los Angeles called 72 Market St. (Fun fact: by the late 90s, I was a publicist for the company that published the 72 Market St Cookbook, which did contain a version of this recipe. Never got to eat there, though.)

It’s some work, but it’s worth it. You get 8 cute little loaves, moist, and full of vegetables. Make some mashed potatoes, steam some broccoli (oops, didn’t do that part this time) and you have a delicious meal that plates well and leaves plenty of leftovers. Meat loaf sandwiches… how very Vogue…

¾ c. minced white onion 1 tsp. salt

¾ c. minced green onion ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ c. minced celery 1 tsp. black pepper

½ c. minced carrot ½ tsp. white pepper

¼ c. minced green pepper ½ tsp. cumin

½ c. minced red pepper ½ tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. minced garlic ½ c. half and half (or evaporated milk)

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter ½ c. ketchup

1½ lbs lean ground beef

½ lb. lean ground pork

3 eggs, beaten

¾ c. dry toasted bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°

Sauté vegetables and garlic in butter until softened. Cool to room temperature. Combine spices, and stir into cooled veggies. Add cream, ketchup, and everything else. Lightly form into 8 loaves on a foil-lined cookie sheet (with sides). Bake 40-45 minutes.

Meanwhile, make gravy (though I have to say, I have never made this gravy!)

1 Tablespoon minced shallot

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

pinch thyme

1 bay leaf

pinch black pepper

1 c. dry white wine

1 c. each chicken and beef stock

Sauté shallot in 1T butter until soft, with thyme, bay leaf, and pepper. Add wine. Cook over high heat until reduced to a glaze. Add the stocks, and boil to reduce by half, then swirl in remaining butter. (You can use this to deglaze the meatloaf pan, but I prefer the easy clean up of using foil, but it’s an option.)

Let the loaves sit for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.