Wild Game Meatloaf with Marinara Sauce

Few foods carry a stigma like that which is often, if unjustifiably, attached to the humble meatloaf. Given a bad rap by decades of misguided and inadequate preparation - usually Heinz 57 played a role here - meatloaf became an easy target for culinary ridicule and, sadly, even outright disgust. Done right though, this iconic dish, which has roots in the dark ages of medieval Europe and found its footing on American shores with the arrival of scrapple-loving German immigrants, is wholly deserving of its global comfort food status. So when I’m sitting around with a surplus of ground game meat and I’ve had my fill of smash burgers, chili and pasta with bolognese, I’ll often revert back to this ancient food staple.

2 lbs ground game meat
1½ cups Italian bread, cubed and dried or panko breadcrumbs
3 eggs
1 cup milk
4 cloves garlic
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ small jalapeño, diced
1 carrot
½ medium white onion
½ small fennel bulb
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. dried oregano
⅓ cup marinara sauce
1½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Soak bread in milk for about 30 minutes or until soft.

Use a colander or fine mesh sieve to separate the breadcrumbs from the milk, using your hands to squeeze out any remaining milk from the bread. Discard spent milk then use a knife to dice and smash soaked breadcrumbs until you achieve a paste-like consistency.

Pulse all of your vegetables in a food processor, including garlic, until they too are transformed into a paste-like mixture.

Combine the veggie mixture, the breadcrumb paste, eggs, spices, marinara, Worcestershire and ground meat into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. A stand mixer with a meat hook or paddle attachment helps a lot here if you have one.

Once the meat is thoroughly and evenly combined with all of the other ingredients, pack the mixture into an loaf pan of appropriate size.

Bake this in the oven at 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5) until it reaches an internal temperature of approximately 150-160°F. This usually takes an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes depending on the oven.

Once the desired internal temperature is achieved, set the pan aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Carefully upend the loaf pan, allowing the intact meat loaf to slide out onto a cutting board. Slice and serve.

When serving the meatloaf, ladle a warm spoonful of the marinara atop a slice, then sprinkle with the grated cheese and a few sprigs of fennel for color. A twice-baked potato makes a great addition to the finished plate.