Argentinian Style Meatloaf with Chimichurri Sauce

Argentinian Style Meatloaf with Chimichurri Sauce
From LCBO's Food & Drink Magazine, Winter 2009 issue
Note: the amount of chili powder you add will be determined how spicy you like your food. As is, it's quite mild. I actually doubled the amount of chili powder for our tastes.

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 55 minutes or so
Resting time: 10 minutes to reabsorb the juices

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 bunch spinach, stemmed, washed and coarsely chopped or 1 package frozen spinach, thawed in the microwave or in a little boiling water
2lb/1kg ground beef
2/3 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko, the magazine suggested fresh)
1 beaten egg
1 tbsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp chili powder
Freshly ground pepper
Chimichurri Sauce:
3 cups Italian/flat leaf parsley leaves
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ - 1 tsp dried oregano (I prefer the Greek variety)
Pinch of chili powder
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/170°C.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened (5 minutes or so). Increase the heat and add the spinach…if you are using frozen, drain the thawed spinach, firmly pressing out any extra liquid. Continue cooking until the spinach is wilted (only applies if using fresh) or heated through. Make sure all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, bread crumbs and cooled spinach mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with salt, chili powder and pepper. Add to the meat mixture and combine well. Place it in a loaf pan, mounding it higher in the center.

4. Bake for about 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°F/77°C. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, to make the Chimichurri sauce, drop the peeled shallot and garlic down the feeding tube of your food processor with the motor running. Then add the parsley leaves to the bowl and process until the parsley is finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients, pulse a few times to combine and taste for seasoning. Transfer the sauce to a small bowl to be served with the meatloaf.

I love to serve this with Roasted Butternut Squash. The sweetness of the squash is perfect with the spiciness of the meatloaf.