Adam Liaw’s beef and ricotta meatloaf

Name: Adam Liaw’s beef and ricotta meatloaf
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: ¼ cup roughly chopped basil; ½ cup milk; 1 cup dried breadcrumbs; 1kg minced beef; 375g ricotta; ½ cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve; 1 brown onion, peeled and grated; 1 carrot, grated; 1 stalk celery, grated; 4 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ cup finely chopped basil; 2 eggs; 1 tsp salt; black pepper, to season; 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying

Adam Liaw

September 7, 2023

Beef and ricotta meatloaf.William Meppem

easyTime:2 hours +Serves:6

The best meatloaves are sliced and fried to give them a lovely crust.

Ingredients

¼ cup roughly chopped basil
½ cup milk
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
1kg minced beef
375g ricotta
½ cup grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
1 brown onion, peeled and grated
1 carrot, grated
1 stalk celery, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup finely chopped basil
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
black pepper, to season
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying

Basil and tomato sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
700ml tomato passata
¼ cup roughly chopped basil

Method

Step 1
Heat your oven to 180C fan-forced(200C conventional). Stir the milk and breadcrumbs together in a bowl. Add the mince, ricotta, parmesan, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, basil, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix, stirring in one direction, until all ingredients combine.
Step 2
Pack the meatloaf into a non-stick 1.2-litre loaf tin, piling the excess up on top (it won’t all fit inside). Put a piece of baking paper on top and cover with foil. Place in a tray to catch any leakage and bake for 75 minutes. Remove from the oven, stand for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate, ideally overnight, reserving any juices in the tin or baking tray.
Step 3
For the tomato sauce, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the oil and fry the onion and garlic until lightly browned. Add the passata, basil and any juices reserved from the meatloaf and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 4
When ready to eat, remove the meatloaf from the tin and cut into thick slices. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Fry each slice of meatloaf for 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Serve on the basil and tomato sauce.