Danish Meat Loaf

This meat loaf started life as a meatball recipe in the Times.

6 slices of dense square packaged pumpernickel (Wild’s Westphalian is perfect) or 3 1/2-inch slices of bakery pumpernickel

2 large eggs

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. coarse salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 medium yellow onions (1 cup) finely chopped (not minced)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground veal

3/4 lb. Italian sausage, squeezed from casing. (Sausage can be sweet or hot. Guess what? I prefer hot.)

Plain store-bought or fine homemade bread crumbs to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Soak bread in warm water for 3 or 4 minutes. Squeeze out water and tear into pieces.

Combine lightly beaten eggs, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Using a big mixing bowl, mix bread and egg mixture together, then add onions, garlic, and the meats, and blend together with a wooden spoon or your hands.

Pat into an oval or square baking dish or a loaf pan, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until instant-read thermometer registers 155° F.

Remove from oven, pour off excess fat, and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.