THE CHEF FROM HELL

Here's a dish I used to make at my last restaurant, Yazoo City, which was located here in Lindenhurst, New York.  Many folks have differing opinions on the subject of meatloaf; the debate on what's the best recipe for meatloaf rages on back and forth between cooks across the land to this very day.  Well, my meatloaf philosophy is as follows--if you feel good about tossing something into the mix then do it!  This is not rcket science, friends, this is the art of self expression through cooking.  When it comes to settling on any particular list of ingredients (other than the meat that is) I feel that experimentation should be the order of the day.  I also have a theory that it is this very devil-may-care attitude that's responsible for every family in America having their own unique recipe for meatloaf!  So throw caution to the wind and join the crowd!  (Whew!)  Here's my favorite recipe for meatloaf!

Ingredients:

3 large Eggs, beaten well

3 lb Ground Beef

2 TBS Dry Minced Onion

1/4 cup Ketchup

Note: For those of you who don't like store bought ketchup and would like to make their own, go to How To Make Your Own Ketchup

2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

2 TBS Frank's Hot Sauce

2 TBS Dark Brown Mustard

1/4 cup graqted Romano Cheese

3/4 cup plain Bread Crumbs

Dry Spice Mix:

1 tsp Basil

1 tsp Celery Salt

1/2 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Thyme

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Cooking Procedure:

Preheat your oven to 375 degress

Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl

Add the beaten eggs

Using your hands, work the eggs into the meat thoroughly

Add the remaining ingredients one at a time

Mix well with the addition of each ingredient

Form the meat into the shape of a loaf

Place the meatloaf in a pyrex baking dish & place this in the oven

Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour

Note: Before cutting the meatloaf into portions, let it rest for 10 minutes--this will prevent it from falling apart when you slice it