Meatloaf with onion sauce and sherry (Pain de viande)

Last month, my partner attended an event in Flanders and showed me a picture of a dish called ‘pain de viande’ or in Flemish, ‘vleesbrood.’ It’s one of Belgium’s traditional foods, and it’s a hearty meal, to say the least, known for its dense and slightly dry texture. My partner mentioned that it’s typically served with apple compote or sherry sauce, and he’s been enjoying it his whole life. However, while the traditional version is delicious, I decided to put my own twist on it. I kept the flavors but aimed for a crispy crust and a light, moist interior. If you prefer the denser original version, this might not be the recipe you’re expecting, but I can assure you it’s also as delicious. I must say, it disappeared like magic after I served this dish!

Feel free to choose the sauce according to your preference. In my case, I used canned sherry and my homemade onion sauce to accompany it. I’ve also noticed people enjoying it with applesauce.

For this recipe, I have just one tip: pan-fry it until the surroundings are crispy before finishing the cooking process in the oven.

Meatloaf with onion sauce and sherry (Pain de viande)

Difficulty:BeginnerTotal time:1 hour Servings:4 servings Best Season:Fall

Ingredients

• 1 kg ground pork and veal
• 150 g breadcrumbs
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• a hand full (or 50g) fresh parsley, chopped
• Butter
• Rosemary and thymes (finely chopped)
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper
• Sauce as preferred (as sides)
• Finely chopped parley (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 170 °C.
2. Meat Mixture: Take a large bowl and mix the minced meat with the eggs, breadcrumbs and a finely crushed garlic clove.
3. Choose a sharp knife and chop the parsley, rosemary and thyme very finely. Add the spices to the minced meat mixture.
4. Form a pretty bun: Knead well and season everything with pepper from the grinder and some salt. form a firm bun.
5. Crusty in the making: Melt a lump of butter in a hot pan and fry the meatloaf on each side, until it gets a golden yellow crust.
6. In the oven: Place the meatloaf in a baking dish, arrange a few lumps of butter on top. Let it bake for 40 minutes in the preheat oven.
7. While the meat is baking, you can prepare your preferred sauce. You can use canned sherry, homemade onion sauce, or applesauce as mentioned earlier.
8. Once the ‘Pain de Viande’ is done baking, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it. Serve with your choice of sauce.