Persian Meatloaf - WOW!!

[SheRa]

a friend of mine sent me a christmas present that arrived in the mail while i was writing out my shopping list. it was a persian cookbook (i'm 1/2 persian, and didn't get too much exposure to that half growing up, but LOVE the cuisine). i took this as a sign and picked out a recipe to make for dinner tonight. i made persian meatloaf and it turne out AMAZING!! i was never a fan of meatloaf, so i figured maybe a different spin on it would change my mind, and WOW!! it was really easy too, and i think pretty healthy. if anyone is interested in the recipe, i'll gladly share it. the book is called "In A Persian Kitchen". Definitely 5 stars!

[oceanjasper]

I have never had meatloaf before, but your review makes me want to try yours! Can you post when you get a chance? Thanks!

[GeckoGirl]

if anyone is interested in the recipe, i'll gladly share it.

You can't post a review like that without the recipe!!! Whaddya thinking??? :D

[jmg]

Please post ASAP! It sounds wonderful! I need this recipe!

thanks! jan

[annagins]

Please post it! :)

[SheRa]

well, i just wanted to make sure people were interested before i typed it out ;)

Persian Meat Loaf
4 Servings

1 1/2 lb. ground lamb or beef
1 lg. onion, grated
1/4 c. finely chopped green onions
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/4 c. finely chopped celery leaves
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. cinnamon
2 eggs
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 T. lemon juice
1 slice white bread

Put meat in large bowl. Add above ingredients except bread. Soak the bread in water and squeeze the water and add it to meat. Mix well until thoroughly mixed. Put in baking dish and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

---
Notes: I used beef, and didn't have a loaf pan, so I made it in a 9x9 pan, and it made 9 servings. I can't imagine making only 4 servings out of that!! I served it with dill rice (basmati preferably) and mast va khiar (the way this cookbook said to make it, which was new to me. it used dill rather than mint, which i usually use). I always sprinkle some sumac on top of my beef in Persian cooking (when it's on the plate), and served with some pitas. We microwaved leftovers for lunch today and it was still super moist! The cinnamon is really what made it stand out to me. MMmMmMMM!!!

[JackieO]

well, i just wanted to make sure people were interested before i typed it out ;)
[B]
I always sprinkle some sumac on top of my beef in Persian cooking (when it's on the plate), and served with some pitas. We microwaved leftovers for lunch today and it was still super moist! The cinnamon is really what made it stand out to me. MMmMmMMM!!!
Oooo..I think I know what I'm putting on the family menu this week. Thanks for posting.

I'm intrigued by the sumac. I bought a small jar at Penzey's not long ago because it smelled good and looked interesting. Haven't had the courage to try it, but I think I'll definitely do so here.

Would you recommend the sumac as a table seasoning, or incorporating it in the recipe? BTW, I think I'll try to get ground lamb or at least a mix of half lamb/half beef.

Thanks for posting! :)

[SheRa]

i always bring it out to the table when i cook anything middle eastern. it's great on lamb and beef, even chicken kebabs sometimes. just sprinkle a pinch on top before you dig in. i've seen it in shakers at restaurants too, right by the salt and pepper.

enjoy! let me know what you think of it!

[Kathy B]

SheRa,

That was my first Iranian cookbook! I ended up giving it away, because the seasonings were not what DH was used to. He doesn't care for cinnamon in his entrees, so I didn't actually get to try very many of the recipes. :(

I actually make Mast O' Khiar with both dill AND mint. Have you ever seen the cookbook The Food of Life or The New Food of Life? I highly recommend either or both of those books if you like Persian food.

Happy cooking! :)

[oceanjasper]

Thank you, SheRa!

[SheRa]

SheRa,

That was my first Iranian cookbook! I ended up giving it away, because the seasonings were not what DH was used to. He doesn't care for cinnamon in his entrees, so I didn't actually get to try very many of the recipes. :(

I actually make Mast O' Khiar with both dill AND mint. Have you ever seen the cookbook The Food of Life or The New Food of Life? I highly recommend either or both of those books if you like Persian food.

Happy cooking! :)

Thanks! I added the books to my wishlist for Christmas :)

[jmg]

Thanks for posting the recipe. It sounds wonderful!

-jan

[PattiA]

SheRa, thanks for posting this recipe!!! I made it a few days ago and we really enjoyed it. I baked it freeform on a broiler pan. It was delicious served right from the oven and also delicious in cold meatloaf sandwiches.

I have added "In a Persian Kitchen" to my cookbook wishlist.

[honeygirl1971]

SheRa, would you mind posting your recipe for the dill rice too? The dinner sounds really good! :)

[SheRa]

i don't really use a recipe, but here's what i do (i'll post non-rice cooker directions):

saute 1 - 2 cloves garlic in some olive oil. sometimes i add a shallot too.

add basmati rice and toss around in the oil until it's coated. add the amount of water that the rice calls for to cook (i think it's usually 1 cup of rice to 1 3/4 cup of water, but don't quote me on that).

add a small can of lima beans, drained, and dried dill. i have no idea how much i add, i'd guess it's a few tablespoons. it's enough so that there is green throughout the rice.

cover and cook as directed. make sure it stays covered until it's done. i usually stir it at the end and add more dill if it doesn't look like enough.

i always put salt on it before i eat it, but you obviously don't have to do this.

i hope that wasn't too confusing. let me know how it turns out if you try it! it's good without the lima beans too. the major thing that makes it stand out is that it has to be basmati rice. jasmine would be my 2nd choice if you can't find it.

enjoy!

[annagins]

Thanks for posting! I love Persian food, but usually end up going out for it. It's always nice to have quick and easy versions of things that will satisfy a particular ethnic craving :).

[Wendy w]

This looks amazing and I must have this book. Thanks!

[SheRa]

i'm hoping that whatever i decide to make for my 2nd attempt from this book tastes as good! but then again, i've never really had any persian food that i hated :D

this is what the book looks like in case anyone is curious:
http://www.ashleyhenderson.com/images/lj/inapersiankitchen.jpg

[mommycook]

Persian Meat Loaf


This sounds like a recipe that a friend of mine used to make, she was married to a Persian guy. She would flatten the mixture onto something that looked like an uncooked tortillia and bake them. YUUUUUUMMMMMMMYYYYYYY

She had a name for them that escapes me at the moment.

It has been a long time since I have had them.....hmmm, all ingredients are on hand.....no plan for dinner as of yet.....hubby has been asking for meatloaf.....problem solved! :p

[SheRa]

all this talk is making me want to make it again...already!

[gward]

Finally, a new spin on meatloaf! Thanks so much. This one is going on my "must make soon" list.

Thanks for your willingness to share with us all!

[JackieO]

We had this tonight -- I followed the recipe exactly, using ground lamb. DH thought it was wonderful; I thought it was good -- I think I'd like it better with a 1/2 & 1/2 blend of lamb and ground beef. (I'm sure it's psychological; if someone else made this and served it to me, I wouldn't have had a second thought. But thoughts of wooly, cute creatures with black noses sort of intruded in my brain tonight. That doesn't happen with beef, chicken or turkey, but lambs just seem like, well, pets. :( ) DH didn't know until after dinner that it was lamb -- he wasn't at all bothered by it. (His grandmother, on the other hand, couldn't stand lamb/mutton, and made a point of letting people know about it.)

This was the first time I used the "slice of white bread soaked in water" instead of bread crumbs in a meatloaf recipe. My loaf didn't hold together too well, (not to mention how gross it is to squeeze water out of a piece of white bread) so I think I'll go back to my great aunt's method (she was a native Swede who cooked for 30 years in a Chicago diner and was an AWESOME cook) -- soak breadcrumbs in beaten eggs before adding to the rest of the ingredients. Much more even consistency.

Anyway...the kitchen smelled wonderful while the meatloaf was baking, AND I sprinkled sumac on the finished dish. It was very good.

Not to hijack the thread, but what else can I use the sumac for? (I'm tempted to send Bill Penzey and e-mail and ask him to develop some recipes for this spice he made me buy! :p )

[SheRa]

yeah, the white bread thing kind of grossed me out too, and i don't think i broke it up enough in the meat, so i hit a patch of it on occasion while eating it. ick! i don't even think it needed it at all, because it was fantastic otherwise.

[tbb113]

Check out this thread (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=67810&highlight=sumac) for more sumac recipes. ;)

[newtricks]

Finally made this last night. It was really good. Nice to have a meatloaf that was a little different. I used all beef and didn't put in the parsley otherwise followed the recip exactly right down to soaking the bread.

My kids loved it too. So SheRa, 5 of us ate every last bit! :o

[hAndyman]

Not to hijack the thread, but what else can I use the sumac for? :p )

Do check that link from tbb113 - I just posted another good recipe using sumac and chicken.

Interesting that this thread came up today - I have the Persian Meatloaf on tonight's menu - I haven't made meatloaf in years so this is a challenge for me. :eek: ;)

[SheRa]

Finally made this last night. It was really good. Nice to have a meatloaf that was a little different. I used all beef and didn't put in the parsley otherwise followed the recip exactly right down to soaking the bread.

My kids loved it too. So SheRa, 5 of us ate every last bit! :o

i'm so glad you liked it! like i said, it's the only meatloaf i've ever actually enjoyed. i haven't made it in a while either, so maybe i'm due ;)

did you make it in a loaf pan, or a 9x9? i did it in a 9x9 but have since bought a loaf pan. i felt it was cooked perfectly as a square, but if you had luck with it loaf-style, i'll try it that way next time.

[cocoa'smom]

Whenever I make meat loaf I form it into a loaf shape and bake it on top of a 2 piece broiling pan. The fat drips down to the pan below, saving, I imagine, a lot of fat and calories. And if you line the bottom pan with foil, half the clean-up's taken care of!

[newtricks]

Like Cocoa, I also just form it into a loaf and cook it. I'm going to use that broiler pan trick though. I don't like all the "stuff" that comes out of meatloaf and cooks on the pan. The grease doesn't bother me as much as that does! :eek: :o

It took a little longer than an hour to get to 140 degrees in the middle.

[SheRa]

great idea! i'm always up for tips that help me spend less time cleaning ;)

[cindyn]

I am glad this thread came back to life as I missed it in December. I will have to try the meatloaf. In a Persian Kitchen is also the first Persian cookbook I got years ago. I have not made the meatloaf. The recipe I make the most is Luleh Kabab (Kabab with Ground Lamb). I usually make it with half lamb and half beef and grill it. I serve it with Chelo (steamed rice) and Mast (yogurt). The way I make my rice is very similar to the Chelo recipe in the cookbook but I don't soak it overnight! It a good standin since my favorite Persian restaurant is in CA and I now live in MN.

Cindy

[cindyn]

In a Persian Kitchen is also the first Persian cookbook I got years ago.

I should have added that another cookbook I love is The Complete Middle East Cookboo by Tess Mallos. It has wonderful descriptions of each country or region within the Middle East and what has influenced their food. Pictures of the dishes make me hungry every time if open the cookbook. The recipes are organized by country. I usually refer to both cookbooks to recreate the dishes I have had in restaurant or that were made by Persian friends.

[hAndyman]

and 4 out of 4 liked the meatloaf! The cinnamon adds a lovely flavour. We got 6 servings so far with 1 or 2 left. I served it with the dilled rice, Mast Va Khiar, and carrots with cumin and ginger, all very yummy. I'm glad you posted the recipe, SheRa; thanks!

[birdyone]

I made this the other day and - you are so right - WOW! I've made many a meatloaf in my day and have to say this is up on top. I used ground round and followed the recipe to a 't' - we all really enjoyed it. Also did your version of the 'dilled rice' - both excellent and thanks for sharing!

Finally found some ground lamb and going to try with it this week.

Elaine

[SheRa]

ok that's it. i MUST put this on my grocery list for this week. i only did it once and this thread just keeps reminding me how great it is. i'm so glad you all liked it! :D

[PattiA]

Bringing this back up because this meatloaf is so delicious. I made it today for a client and just had to stop at the grocery store on the way home to buy ground lamb so I could make it for our dinner tonight. If you want to make your kitchen smell wonderful, make this. It is irrestistable. Our meatloaf is baking in the oven and I can't wait for it to be ready.

[Kyra]

I'm looking forward to trying this recipe. I would like to substitute bread crumbs for the slice of bread. Can anyone take a stab at how much I'd use for this recipe?

Thanks very much!

[SheRa]

i did that the last time i made it and just sprinkled some into the mixture. i'd say maybe 1/4 cup, but i'm sure it's pretty forgiving.

after making this a few times, i tried it in a normal loaf pan, and i have to say, i prefer baking it in a square pan - it seems to cook better that way. i always have to leave it in the oven longer than it calls for, too, and the loaf pan took FOREVER! the square one makes it easier to cut, too.

[mcgee]

I made this last night for dinner using 1/2 1b ground beef and 1/2 1lb ground lamb. Followed the exact directions using the soggy bread. Made it into a free-form loaf and baked it on a broiler pan as others recommended.

DH couldn't get over how good it was. He started off by saying, "this is good." A few bites later, "this is REALLY good." Followed by "this is the BEST meatloaf I've ever had." And he had five, yes five pieces. And this is from a former vegetarian who still rarely eats red meat.

I was going to serve it for dinner tonight but brought the few leftovers I had for lunch. It was still quite tasty. Guess this will become a regular.

Thanks for a great recipe.

[SheRa]

i really should try some more recipes out of that cookbook soon. i'll be sure to post reviews of any that i try out. this one was so good that there HAS to be more in there that are really tasty!

[Clover]

i really should try some more recipes out of that cookbook soon. i'll be sure to post reviews of any that i try out. this one was so good that there HAS to be more in there that are really tasty!
I've had this book for a long time, but I never made anything from it until I read the Persian Meatloaf review. After trying that, I made a couple other things, both of which were good. One was Pomegranate Soup, pg 36. When I made this, I think I had a back-up meal planned in case it was terrible, but it was really good. I probably used less sugar and more lime juice than is called for--you need to adjust it to your taste. I used PomWonderful pomegranate juice, which is probably sweeter than using fresh seeds. The other recipe I made was Khoreshe Sak, meatballs in a spinach and orange sauce, and I reviewed it here (http://community.cookinglight.com/showpost.php?p=1054577&postcount=78) for SGOTW #6.

[MKSquared]

I made the Persian Meatloaf the other night for dinner. I started out trying to follow the directions. I used all ground lamb which wasn't too fatty. I wasn't sure of the weight of the lamb I had, since it wasn't labeled. I made it with 2# of lamb, and forgot to chop up the parsley into the mix. I used it as a garnish, instead. :D I served it with Kashi's pilaf, and the fattiness from the meat really flavored the pilaf well. Like other PP's, I served it with flatbread for lunch the next day, and it was wonderful. :) Yumm.

[PattiA]

SheRa, thank you again for posting this recipe. When I brought this post up last month, I had just made it for a client who is undergoing chemotherapy and is following a restrictive organic and gluten-free diet. His tastes have been severely affected by the chemo and the things that he likes changes sometimes daily. I'm cooking for him again this week. I talked to his daughter tonight to discuss the foods that are appealing to him. He loved the Persian Meatloaf and wants me to make it for him again this week. Thanks for helping me help this client.

[SheRa]

SheRa, thank you again for posting this recipe. When I brought this post up last month, I had just made it for a client who is undergoing chemotherapy and is following a restrictive organic and gluten-free diet. His tastes have been severely affected by the chemo and the things that he likes changes sometimes daily. I'm cooking for him again this week. I talked to his daughter tonight to discuss the foods that are appealing to him. He loved the Persian Meatloaf and wants me to make it for him again this week. Thanks for helping me help this client.

that's wonderful! i'm so glad that it worked out for you and that he liked it so much :)

[hAndyman]

I've enjoyed this meatloaf a number of times over the years now and it deserves an appearance once again, and have made the best version yet - my wife kept giving off mmm-mmm's while eating and still more after saying "That was gooood!" while taking her plate to the dishwasher... and I agree enthusiastically. Tonight I used 1 lb lamb, 1 lb lean beef, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp allspice, 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice, 1-1/2 tsp pomegranate molasses, 1/2 of a diced sweet red pepper, a 1/2 cup of diced reconstituted dry wild mushrooms and a 1/2 cup of dried pita bread crumbs as well as other ingredients called for. It was cooked on a lined cookie sheet at 325F convection about 1 hour (to 160F internal temp.) and had an incredibly delicious crust on it. I served it with some freshly made yogurt, sprinkled with sumac, spooned over top of each slice.
Thank God for leftovers - we will be blessed with another dinner and then sandwiches for a couple days; I'm really, really looking forward to sandwiches or maybe some tortilla rollups with this, mmm-mmm! Best meatloaf ever!

[luckylori]

Okay, this has me intrigued...both the meatloaf and the rice. Quick question...do you think frozen limas would work instead of the canned?