The Farmer’s Wife Meatloaf

Charles Bohl, Brookfield, requested the recipe for meatloaf from The Farmer’s Wife, 6533 W. Mitchell St., in West Allis.

Robin Mastera, chef and owner, sent the recipe. She wrote: “Our staple menu doesn't change and includes favorites like meatloaf, chicken pot pie, beef pot roast and burgers. Our daily menu is always filled with farmer-influenced dishes to tempt your tummy.”

The Farmer’s Wife Meatloaf

Recipe tested by Joanne Kempinger Demski

Makes 10 to 12 servings

Tomato relish:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced

2 tomatoes, halved, seeded and finely diced

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 bottle (12 ounces) ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meatloaf:

½ cup steel-cut oats

¼ cup whole milk

3 pounds ground beef

2 eggs, beaten

Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For relish: Lightly coat a skillet with oil. Place over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and bay leaves and sauté a few minutes to create a base flavor. Add bell peppers and cook a couple of minutes to soften. Add tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in parsley, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, then season with salt and pepper.

Simmer relish 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove bay leaves. You should have about 4 cups relish.

For meatloaf: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, place oats and add milk to just barely cover. Swish oats around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meatloaf together.

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef with 1 ½ cups of the tomato relish, the eggs and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Add oats to meat mixture. To test, fry a small hamburger patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. If patty doesn’t hold together, you can add breadcrumbs or rice flour to keep the recipe gluten-free. Taste patty for seasoning.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet with sides. Transfer meat mixture to center of cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Coat top of meatloaf with another ½ cup tomato relish. 

Bake in preheated oven 1 to 1 ½ hours until meatloaf is firm. Rotate meatloaf every now and then to ensure that it browns evenly. Remove meatloaf from oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with remaining tomato relish on the side.

To request a recipe, write “You Asked for It,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Box 371, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0371 or email jdemski@journalsentinel.com. Requests must include complete restaurant name, address and phone number (only businesses still in operation will be considered), as well as your name, address and phone number. (Names and addresses will be withheld upon request.) Column compiled by Joanne Kempinger Demski.