Albondigon Festivo - Festive Meatloaf Recipe

This festive meatloaf may be served hot or cold. Serves eight.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/4 lb. ground pork
1 egg
2 slices of bread, soaked in milk, then squeezed
2 T. finely minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 slice green pepper, chopped
1 t. salt
1/2 t. paprika
2 T . oil
2 T. flour

Step 1. In the oil, sauté onion, garlic and green pepper until tender and remove from heat. Mix well with meat. Add the squeezed bread, egg salt and pepper and knead it well with your hands. Prepare filling (see next recipe).

Step 2. Dust the table with flour. Pat down the meat to make a rectangle. Arrange the filling in the center. Fold the bottom third of the meat rectangle over the middle third, then fold the top third over all.

Step 3. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large frying pan. Carefully lift the meatloaf from the table and sauté the bottom part slowly until you have a golden crust. With the aid of a spatula, turn the loaf over. Brown the other side. Tilting the pan, remove excess fat and add the tomato sauce (see sauce recipe below).

Step 4. Simmer, covered, very slowly one hour, basting over with tomato sauce and lifting the loaf once in a while with the spatula so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Serve hot, sliced, with mashed potatoes, noodles or rice, and the sauce in a sauceboat.

The Filling:
Ingredients:
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
3 anchovy filets
1/2 cup pitted sliced olives
2 pimentos cut in halves
1 T. minced parsley or bacon bits

V.S.P. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and use as filling in above meatloaf recipe.

The Sauce:
Ingredients:
2 cups plain canned tomato sauce
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
Salt to taste

V.S.P. Mix all ingredients thoroughly, heat lightly to blend and use as sauce for meatloaf.