Poor Man's Roast - Meat Loaf Recipe

Hello Everyone,

This is one of my favourite recipes from childhood. I'm the oldest of five children, born just after WWII when food was still on ration and money was short. Out of necessity cheap, economical but tasty dishes became my mother's speciality ... she really could make a meal out of nothing!! My mother also came from a large family and so the extended family was ... well, extensive :) I had lots of lovely young aunts and handsome young uncles - many of whom were in the forces doing their National Service - and when they were home they were always popping in and out of our house, not to mention the frequent visits from my grandmother. It was all great fun for me and my siblings but must have tested my mother's ingenuity at times. This meat loaf was a cheap and cheerful Sunday dinner, and Poor Man's Roast presumably because it could be sliced up just like a real meat roast.  Back then it was served up with roast potatoes, homemade gravy and whatever green vegetable was in season. My own children preferred it if I served it up with chips and sweetcorn!

There are a lot of recipes for meat loaf around and I'm sure many of you have tried them out ... perhaps you've got your own favourite. What makes this my favourite is that there is no bacon or ham included - I'm not keen on the flavour these ingredients give to a meat loaf. I do, however, sometimes add some crushed chilli seeds and cumin seeds for a bit of a modern twist on an old favourite. We have herbs growing in both the garden and in pots, so I just pick a bunch of whatever is in season - when I cooked the loaf this week I was able to pick a mix of parsley, marjoram, thyme and chives. Here's the recipe:

Meat Loaf Recipe

Pre-heat oven to 190°C – Gas Mark 5
2lb loaf tin

Ingredients:

1 lb mince beef
½ lb pork sausage meat
1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs (preferably wholemeal, but white will do)
1 large onion – finely chopped
1 dsp tomato purée
1 bunch of fresh mixed herbs – finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried herbs)
1 beef Oxo cube (optional)
2 eggs – beaten
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Put all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly as you go, and seasoning to taste. Press the mixture into a 2lb loaf tin, spreading evenly, than bake in the oven for 1 ¼ hours. When cooked, it will have shrunk from the sides of the tin. Allow to cool slightly before placing on a serving dish. 

We like it served with hot, homemade tomato sauce, baked potatoes and sweetcorn, but it’s also very nice served cold with salad and pickles. Leftovers make a good sandwich filling.


Hopefully, if you decide to give this recipe a try, you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Happy cooking,