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Vermont Maple & Smoke
Mole MEatloaf
A simple and hardy way to experienced rich mole sauce, and a great dish for cool evening. I've found that baking meatloaf on the top rack of the oven makes for the best crust of mole glazed on top. Any side works well, and some fresh salsa and/or avocado. You can even get really crazy and eat the whole thing on a tortilla and eat it like a taco. No wrong answers to this test
Makes enough for 4 - 6 people
1 # Ground beef, preferably grass fed. Lean or fatty, it's all good
3 strips Bacon, cut up into small pieces (you can leave it out if kosher)
1 each Onion, finely chopped
1 each Green bell pepper, seeded, stemmed and finely chopped
1 cup Cooked rice, or 1/3 cup raw rice to cook with peppers and onions
2 each Whole eggs, cracked and whisked
1 Tsp Chili powder, or more if you like more spice
1 Tsp Cumin powder
1 Tbls Salt
6 oz Maple Mole as needed
In pan sauté the onions and peppers until cooked through. If you have cooked rice you can add it to pick up the flavors in the pan. If you are cooking the rice from hard add it to the pan with a cup of water or stock and let it simmer until it is soft and cooked, like rice. When cooked let everything cool for a few minutes.
Heat the oven to 350. In a big bowl (bigger means less messy later) add the meat, bacon, eggs, spices, and the onions, peppers, and rice. Mix everything together by hand until it is a smooth consistency with no lumps of meat. I a baking pan, for the meat into the classic oblong meatloaf shape. Add the Maple Mole sauce evenly on top of the meatloaf, but preferably not so much sauce that it gets all sloppy in the baking pan. Bake the meatloaf for about 20 minutes, or until it is firm with an internal temperature of 160 - 180.
Halfway through the cooking process you can add another layer of sauce to the top. When finished, let the loaf rest a few minutes before cutting. Serve hot with some Maple Mole on the side, and maybe a little fresh tomato salsa and an avocado.
