"Double Beat Loaf"
"A River Runs Through It" + Shohei Ohtani
“Meat loaf, smeat loaf, double-beat loaf…I HATE meat loaf!”
If that line sounds familiar to you it’s grumbled by “Randy” in Jean Shepard’s classic movie, “A Christmas Story.” As a form of protest, “Ralphie’s” obnoxious little brother builds a monument on his plate with his fork planted in a mountain of mashed potatoes.
But even Randy would dig this recipe for one of life’s all-time comfort foods.
This version is a mash-up between ingredients found in the Better Homes and Gardens “New Cookbook,” my wife Mary’s use of three different meats, and my addition of garlic, which I can never resist.
And the beauty of meat loaf for dinner? Meat loaf sandwiches for lunch!
Meat Loaf
Ingredients
2 eggs
¾ cup milk
½ cup fine dry breadcrumbs
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves smashed and chopped
4 tablespoons snipped parsley
1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 pound each: ground beef, veal, pork (1-1/2 pounds total)
½ cup catsup
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons dry mustard
Directions
1. Mix the eggs and milk into a large bowl; stir in the breadcrumbs, onions, garlic (I sauté the onions and garlic before adding), parsley, salt, pepper and sage.
2. Add the ½ pound of ground beef, veal and pork to the mixture and blend very well.
3. Pat the meat loaf mixture into a 8”x 4”x 2” glass Pyrex dish or mold.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.
5. While baking, make the sauce: mix the catsup, brown sugar and dry mustard into a large bowl or measuring cup. Put aside.
6. Remove the bubbling meat loaf from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour off the fat, top the meat loaf with half the catsup sauce and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Save the remainder of the sauce to serve with the meat loaf.
This recipe serves 6 people, but like Thanksgiving turkey, allow for leftovers and those incredible sandwiches!
Movie Recommendation: “A River Runs Through It”
I suppose the only connection between meat loaf and this beautiful film from 1992, is another finnicky kid.
In “A River Runs Through It” (1992), Brad Pitt’s character as a child (“Paul Maclean”) refuses to eat his oatmeal. So his strict Presbyterian Minister/Father forces him to sit at the family table until he does. Paul never acquiesces to his Father’s demand, thus displaying a non-conformist temperament that eventually becomes his undoing.
“A River Runs Through It” is not everyone’s cup of tea, but as a fan of director Robert Redford’s work, as a passionate fly fisherman, and as someone who doesn’t mind crying at the movies, this emotional family drama about two brothers growing up near turn-of-the-century Helena, Montana, is one of my favorites.
The film made Brad Pitt a movie star, and his performance creates a doppelganger-like effect with his director. You can almost see and hear Redford in Pitt’s portrayal of Paul--the boyish charm, a similar athletic physicality, and yes, the famous male beauty they both share.
I was so moved when “River” came out that I wrote a mash note to Redford, whom I worked with on “The Milagro Beanfield War” (1988.) He responded with brevity and his usual class:
Do not let your lack of interest in fly fishing stop you. “A River Runs Through It” has stunning images of Montana’s natural beauty and is loaded with moments of humor, romance, relatable family drama, and gut-wrenching emotion. It’s about Big Things, not just trout.
Redford narrates Norman Maclean’s autobiography throughout, with passages dictated directly from the book. Nowhere is this creative choice more moving than in the film’s final scene: an old man (Maclean himself) stands wading in “their family river,” tying on a fly with shaking hands, “hoping that a fish will rise.” Redford’s narration soberly acknowledges surviving the deaths of those he loved, the cyclical nature of life, and the river’s role as a constant throughout it all.
“Eventually, all things merge into one…and a river runs through it.”
Sports Snark of the Week: “Shohei Ohtani”
As return readers know, I’m an Angels baseball fan. I often feel quite alone. As such, one of the great horrors in Angels’ history came when (arguably) the sports greatest star, Shohei Ohtani, left Anaheim for none other than our most despised rival, the cross-town Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani had performed brilliantly as an Angel but languished on the team for six years as we failed to make the playoffs even once. As a Dodger, with their bottomless bank account and MVP teammates, winning has not been a problem. In his first year as a Dodger, Ohtani promptly won the World Series in 2024. They’re favored to do so again this year.
After two years of not performing as a pitcher—one of two skills he excels at—Ohtani returned to the mound this week and the baseball world stopped to watch the 2-way player most often compared to the immortal Babe Ruth.
Everyone’s excited and I don’t blame them. But I hope you’ll understand why I couldn’t watch. I simply can’t share in Dodger Joy of any kind. It’s like watching a former girlfriend run off with Brad Pitt. Or Robert Redford.
Angels fans feel rotten enough. Do we really need to be jilted in public like this?