Pork Meatloaf with Cabbage and Prunes
- 10 to 12 prunes, pitted
- 1/2 cup white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
- 2/3 cup hazelnuts
- 3 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 2 cups diced onion (about 1 extra-large Vidalia onion)
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more for blanching
- 8 to 10 large cabbage leaves, preferably savoy cabbage
- 2 pounds ground pork, preferably an 80/20 mix ground from pork butt
- 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, preferably from ciabatta
- 3/4 cup grated parsnip (about 1 large parsnip)
- 1/2 cup grated carrot (about 1 large carrot)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a small pot, combine the prunes and wine and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Cook gently until the wine clings to the prunes, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until dark golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer the nuts to a clean kitchen towel, gather up the sides to make a pouch, and roll them on the counter to rub off the skins.
- Unfurl the cloth, and roll the nuts to the edge and into a dish.
- When the nuts are cool, crush them to a medium grade, using a knife, a mortar and pestle, or a small food processor.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of the butter, the onions, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook uncovered, stirring often, until dark golden and sweet, about 20 minutes.
- Scrape onto a plate to cool.
- Bring a 2-quart saucepot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Blanch the cabbage leaves in the boiling water until wilted, about 1 minute each.
- Run the leaves under cold water to cool; shake off excess water.
- Cut away the thickest part of the stems.
- Dry the leaves and set them aside on a plate until ready to use.
- Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the pork, breadcrumbs, parsnip, hazelnuts, carrot, parsley, thyme, sage, pepper, nutmeg, eggs, the cooled onions, and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt.
- Mix swiftly with your hands until just combined.
- Pile the meatloaf mixture into the center of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and pat into a long rectangular shape.
- Press the prunes 1/2-inch deep into the meat, like buttons running down the center of the loaf.
- Pull some of the meat off of each end and use it to cover the tops of the prunes.
- Cover the meatloaf with overlapping cabbage leaves.
- Rub the outside of the leaves with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
- Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
prunes, white wine, hazelnuts, butter, onion, salt, cabbage, ground pork, fresh breadcrumbs, grated parsnip, grated carrot, parsley, thyme, fresh sage, ground black pepper, freshly ground nutmeg, eggs
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/amy-thielen/pork-meatloaf-with-cabbage-and-prunes.html (may not work)