Serves 4
1 small onion
1 lb (450g) lean minced beef
1 slice white bread
2 tablespoons milk
1 egg
1 level teaspoon salt
grated nutmeg (optional) freshly milled pepper
1-2 oz (25-50g) butter
3 tablespoons hot water
Peel and finely chop the onion and put into a mixing bowl, add the minced beef and mix together with a fork. Set aside to allow the flavours to combine. Trim the bread crust. Crumble the bread into a small mixing howl and add the milk. Leave to soak for a few minutes until the bread has absorbed the milk, then mash with a fork. Add the bread, egg, salt and nutmeg, if using it, to the minced beef and onion and season with pepper.
Thoroughly mix together the ingredients with a fork. Texture at this stage is important: if the meat loaf is going to be juicy and succulent the mixture must be moist, but not soft or difficult to handle. Using wetted fingers, shape the meat mixture into a fat oval, patting the mixture to make a compact, smooth shape.
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over low heat. When hot and foaming, add the meat loaf and fry gently to brown. Give the pan an occasional shake so that the loaf rolls over to brown all over. Carefully transfer the meat loaf to a roasting tin. Add the water to the hot fat in the frying pan and stir and swirl the mixture over the heat to pick up the coagulated pan juices. Pour the liquid over the meat loaf and cover with a roasting tin lid or kitchen foil. Cook in an oven heated to 350°F (180°C) or Gas no. 4 for 45 minutes the meat loaf should be pink in the middle and keep its shape.
Serve cut in slices with gravy made from the pan juices. To serve cold, leave several hours or overnight and serve with hot new potatoes or sweet pickled fruit.