Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
½ lb mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic cloves , minced
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ tsp fresh oregano, minced
1 ½ tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb lean ground pork
1 lb ground veal
1 egg, lightly beaten
¾ lb bacon strips
Preparation
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.
Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and garlic and continue sautéing for 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the cream, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Set the mixture aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, veal, and cooled vegetable mixture.
Stir in the egg.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Bring a saucepan or kettle filled with water to a boil.
Put a 9-by-5-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pan on a work surface with a short side facing you.
Arrange the bacon slices parallel with the short end and slightly overlapping, to line the bottom and sides, with the ends extending over the rim of the pan.
Add the meat mixture, patting it down and leveling its surface.
Fold the ends of the bacon strips up and over the ground meat mixture to enclose it.
Place the loaf pan in a larger baking or roasting pan and place the larger pan on the middle shelf of the preheated oven.
With the shelf and pan still extending out of the oven, fill the larger roasting pan with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
Cover both pans with aluminum foil, carefully slide in the oven shelf, and bake for 1 hour.
Carefully remove the foil, taking care to avoid steam, and continue to bake for 30 minutes more, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat loaf registers 165 degrees.
Remove the meat loaf from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Carefully pour the juices out of the pan.
Cut the meat loaf crosswise into 8 slices.
