Yummy! Classic Florentine Italian Meatloaf

Though you might not consider meatloaf Italian,

this is a classic Florentine dish.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Boneless Beef (see below ofr amounts)
Sweet Italian sausages
Bread
Eggs
Onion and herbs
White wine
Preparation:To serve 4 you'll need at least 1 1/4 pounds of boneless beef, which you should put through a grinder twice to obtain an evenly ground mixture. (You'll want chuck or rump; you can use a food processor though you should be careful not to overgrind the meat to a paste. Or buy moderately lean ground beef.)

Put the meat in a bowl and add to it the meat from two sweet Italian sausages (about 1/3 pound), the crumb from two panini (use two Italian rolls, scraping out the crumb and discarding the crust), two lightly beaten eggs, and minced onion, parsley and garlic to taste (I would figure 1/4 to 1/3 cup minced onion, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, and a medium-sized clove of garlic). Work the mixture well to distribute the ingredients evenly and shape it into a loaf somewhat longer than it is wide.

Roll the polpettone in flour and let it sit for an hour or so. In the meantime, mince half of a medium-sized onion, a medium-sized carrot, a 6-inch celery stalk, and a small bunch of parsley. Sauté the mixture in the best extravirgin olive oil (1/4 cup or so), seasoning it to taste with salt and pepper, and when the onion has turned a light brown carefully settle the polpettone into the pot. Continue cooking, turning it carefully to brown it on all sides.

Stir a couple of tablespoons of flour, which will serve as a thickener, into 3/4 cup hot broth (you can use bouillon if need be).

Sprinkle the broth and 3/4 cup dry white wine over the polpettone, cover it, and reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Continue cooking for 40 minutes, checking every now and again to make sure it isn't sticking. Should the sauce begin to dry out, add a little more broth, or, if the seasoning seems right to you, just warm water.

Though good hot it's even better cold. Spoon the gravy over it, sprinkle it with lemon juice, and serve it with a fresh young Chianti d'annata (the wine of the current vintage) or another lively young wine, for example a Bardolino.