Friday, February 6, 2015

Beetloaf, a Story about a Meatloaf

Beetloaf, a Story about a Meatloaf

Valentine's Day is coming, and I'm sharing pink food. Beets are my go to pink food coloring for that vibrant color that is surprisingly found IN nature.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/beetloaf-story-about-meatloaf.html

This story, as all good stories do, starts with a package of beef liver. You may think that's a weird way to start a post entitled Beetloaf. Let me be clear--just because I'm calling this Beetloaf in no way implies a lack of meat. There are many excellent vegetarian loaf recipes out there and this is not one of them. This just happens to be a meatloaf that also contains beets and, as it happens on my FB page, when I post something innocuous sounding like Roasted Beet & Arugula Pizza, my friends nickname it Beet-za. Today I'm skipping the middleman and going straight to the nickname:  Beetloaf.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/beetloaf-story-about-meatloaf.html

Now, before Robert Barker arrived in our lives I didn't know what to do with all the beef liver in the freezer. [My neighbors kept bringing me more, slipping it in the house alongside the eggs when I wasn't looking.] I looked for ways to incorporate liver into our lives, much like I look for ways to incorporate beets into our meals. I hit upon an idea--what if I used beets + liver together? I know I like pickled beets in my Open-faced Liver Postej Sandwiches, so it stands to reason that I'd like them together in the same pan. I decided to add a pound of pork sausage and a pound of ground beef to the liver + beets primarily because I'd already done a mostly vegetable meatloaf, my {48.3% Meat}Loaf, and I knew the additional meat would be a hit with the teenagers. It was--my daughter dumped ketchup on it and declared it 'acceptable' (when in doubt, ketchup is my #5 tip to get your family to eat from the farm share). My son went so far as to say it was 'good'--high praise from him--and complain after I started using all the liver for Robert Barker--that he wanted to eat more beetloaf.

BOOM! Liver + beets are in our bellies and out of the freezer. That's a big win in my book.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/beetloaf-story-about-meatloaf.html

For other recipes using liver you're going to have to wait until I create additional categories for my Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, but there is a search function on the left sidebar in the meantime. For other recipes using beets, please see my Beet Recipes Collection, part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient. For other recipes using ground beef, please see my recipe round up of 106 Food Blogger Recipes using Ground Beef.


Note: You can roast the beets early and refrigerate for a couple of days, or freeze them for several months.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/beetloaf-story-about-meatloaf.html
MISSING: bread. The onions and spices and beets and liver are already in the bowl.

Beetloaf

1 bunch beets, about 1 pound, tops saved for the most amazing brunch ever (recipe here)
about 1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 package beef liver (about ¾ to 1 pound)
1 onion, peeled and quartered (save peels for a Soup Pack)
1 Tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 slice bread, crumbled (I used Multigrain Sourdough)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub beets--don't peel them--and place on a large sheet of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and fold the foil into a packet. Place packet on a cookie sheet and roast for about an hour until the package 'gives' when you squeeze it. [I am loving my birthday/Christmas present oven mitts (Amazon affiliate link), BTW--my spouse did good]. Set aside the beets and when they are cool to handle, slip off the skins.
Turn down the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a food processor--the key to making a smooth loaf without obvious bits of liver, use a blender if you don't have a food processor--process pieces of the liver into a paste. Add the onions and cooled beets and process into a uniform mixture, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer the liver/beet mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the spices. Crumble ground beef, sausage, and bread over the liver mixture. Using your hands, a wooden spoon, or a scraper to combine thoroughly. Pack into a loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a thermometer reads 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve with ketchup, sautéed swiss chard, or Irish Mashed potato casserole if you think the Beetloaf will really be a stretch for your family.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2015/02/beetloaf-story-about-meatloaf.html
This color is so vibrantly PINK!

10 comments:

  1. I have to admit, I'm a little leery on the beef liver (bad smell memories from my dad's "health food" kick with liver in the 80's), I love the idea of a true meatloaf with veggies added and the beets make it look wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alisa,
      Ah, parents, the things they leave us with that we never expected. I have to wonder what I'm bequeathing to my kids! Even though my son keeps asking for this again, I am glad that most of the liver has been fed to the dogs. Robert Barker looks very healthy (Simon looks a mite too healthy, though--we need to get out and walk!).
      Thanks!

      Delete
  2. I like the sound of beets in a meatloaf, but I do not like liver at all! I remember being forced to eat a few bites as a child and promptly throwing up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pam,
      You poor thing! My son could not handle a lot of textures as a kid and I just stopped trying because he'd lose his meal. That defeated the purpose of eating, you know?
      [I just referred to when my 16 yr old 'was a kid'. Hmmm.]
      I don't expect I'll ever seek to buy liver in between beef quarters, but I gotta do something with it once it's in my freezer.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. Nice idea Kirsten with the use of beets, can't wait to join a CSA in Ohio as well. Love using fresh vegetables in my blogging!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michelle,
      Fresh veggies are a constant source of inspiration to me!
      Now is the time to research your CSA. Your potential farmers have a bit of time to chat/respond to emails, and they can certainly use the influx of cash to purchase seeds and repair equipment.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  4. Kirsten, You totally crack me up!! I am the weird person who likes liver, though no one else in my family does, so I guess I won't be making beetloaf for them. But maybe I could just focus them on the beets and if they don't read this post, how will they ever know slipped in the liver:)?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laura,
      Rock on with your self! How do you like to eat liver? I think I really need to try liver prepared by someone else to know what the fuss is all about. I read "liver and onions" but that's not really a recipe, you know?
      Especially grinding it up with a flavorful pork sausage, plus the veggies, the taste is not screaming LIVER to me or my family.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Candice,
      I'm so desperate is what I am! :)
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete