How to make the Meat Loaf:
Mix the ground beef, lard, eggs, Parmigiano, 2 tbs. breadcrumbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add a few spoonfuls of milk and mix well. The mixture should be fairly solid but moist. Shape the meat into a loaf and coat with breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the meat evenly on all sides.
Melt the butter in another pan and brown the chopped onion. Place the loaf over the onions and cook in a pre-heated oven at 475'F for 1/2 hour. Keep the bottom of the pan moist enough to prevent the onions from burning.
This dish is excellent hot or cold, sliced.
Note:
Polpettone can be prepared with other kinds of meat, leftovers or a mixture of meats. Mashed potatoes, crustless white bread, or chopped greens can be added to the mixture. However cooked, the mixture should be browned in hot oil first so that is does not break while cooking. The same meat mixture can be used to make meatballs, or patties, which must first be browned, cooked halfway, then stewed with tomato sauce. The resulting sauce can be used for pasta.
Serves 4
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