Milagro Meat Loaf

                     Almost any kitchen crime can be called a meat loaf, but our version is so good one legislator threatened it with a sin tax. We named it after the milagros, or miracle charms, sold outside major churches in Mexico, because the recipe transforms a mundane dish into a family heirloom.

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ cup minced onion
• ½ green or red bell pepper, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 1¼ pounds lean ground beef
• ¾ pound ground pork
• 1½ cups dry bread crumbs
• ¼ cup tomato-based barbecue sauce
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 egg
• Milk, as needed
• Additional barbecue sauce, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet ; add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and sauté until they are softened.
3. Stir in the black pepper, cayenne, salt, and cumin, and sauté an additional 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Spoon the vegetable mixture into a large bowl.
5. Add to the bowl the remaining ingredients, except the milk, and mix well with your hands.
6. The meat should feel quite moist but not soupy ; if it is too dry, add milk a tablespoon or two at a time until the consistency is right.
7. Mount the meat into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan ; bake the meat, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
8. Raise the oven temperature to 400F, and continue baking another 20 to 30 minutes.
9. If you wish, brush with an additional tablespoon or two of barbecue sauce in the last 10 minutes.
10. Serve the meat hot or cold ; the meat loaf makes great leftovers and sandwiches.

Variation : Milagro meat loaf makes a great filling for stuffed peppers. Cut the tops off red or green bell peppers, and remove the seeds. Spoon the uncooked meat loaf mixture loosely into the peppers. Place the peppers in a baking dish with a few tablespoons of stock or water. Bake 40 minutes at 350F, and about 10 minutes more at 400F. Baste with barbecue sauce in the last few minutes, or top with a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese.

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