The Only Meatloaf That Matters

Preparation

1. Make the meatloaf

   Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 300°F.

   Step 2

   In a large bowl, beat 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon salt.

   Step 3

   Tear 6 ounces French bread into 3-inch pieces (crusts as well), place them in a fine-mesh strainer, and run them under cold water to moisten and soften them. Wring out as much water as possible and add them to the bowl of beaten eggs. Whisk to incorporate.

   Step 4

   Remove the casings from 2 pounds spicy Italian sausage and add the meat to the bowl.

   Step 5

   Grate 3 ounces Parmesan (about ¾ cup) into the bowl, reserving the remaining ounce for shaving later. Finely grate in 5 garlic cloves into the bowl. Using your hands, squeeze, knead, and work the mixture together until it’s homogeneous and pasty. You don’t want big chunks of bread floating around. It should all be pretty uniform.

   Step 6

   Tear 3 ounces mozzarella cheese (about½ ball) into bite-size pieces and gently work them into the meatloaf mixture.

   Step 7

   Pat the meatloaf mixture into a 9 x 5-inch (or similar size) loaf pan, pressing firmly to evenly pack it in. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 150°F, 70 to 90 minutes. Let cool, uncovered, for at least 20 minutes.

2. Crisp the meatloaf

   Step 8

   Remove the meatloaf from the loaf pan and slice it into 1½-inch-thick slices.

   Step 9

   In a large nonstick skillet, heat a big glug of olive oil over medium heat. Working in batches, add the meatloaf slices and cook, undisturbed, until deeply golden brown and crisp on the bottom, about 3 minutes, then flip and repeat on the other side. Transfer to a large plate and repeat with the remaining slices.

3. Assemble the salad and serve

   Step 10

   In a medium bowl, combine 3 big handfuls of arugula and the leaves of 1 small bunch of basil with lots of big shards of parm. Dress the arugula salad with the juice of 2 lemons, a couple glugs of olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper—it should be bright and lemony.