Persian Meat and Egg Loaf (خوراک گوشت با تخم‌مرغ) — Herb-Scented Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce

• 1 tbspvegetable oil (plus 5 ml to grease the pan)
• 7.1 ozonion, finely grated (squeeze out excess juice)
• 4¼ ozgreen bell pepper, very finely diced (about 1 medium pepper)
• 1.5 lbground meat (beef or beef-lamb blend, 15–20% fat) (higher fat keeps the loaf juicy)
• 2⅛ ozplain crackers, finely crushed (about 1 cup crumbs)
• 2egg (for the meat mixture)
• 4hard-boiled eggs, peeled (boil 10 minutes, then chill)
• 1 cuptomato sauce (plain canned tomato sauce)
• ¼ cupwater (to loosen the sauce)
• 8 gsalt (about 1 1/2 tsp fine salt)
• 2 gblack pepper, ground (about 1 tsp)
• 2 tspdried thyme (Persian-style meat seasoning)
• 1 tspdried marjoram (optional but traditional in many homes)

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and lightly grease a loaf pan with 5 ml vegetable oil. Finely crush the crackers until they resemble coarse sand, because large pieces can make the loaf crumble when sliced.

2. 2

   Warm 15 ml vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the diced green bell pepper for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Add the grated onion and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture is fragrant and most moisture has evaporated; this prevents a soggy loaf.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, crushed crackers, 2 raw eggs, salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and dried marjoram. Add the cooled onion-pepper mixture, then mix for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes tacky and cohesive; this improves sliceability and tenderness.

4. 4

   Spread half of the meat mixture into the prepared loaf pan and press it firmly into the corners to remove air pockets. Arrange the 4 hard-boiled eggs in a straight line down the center, then cover with the remaining meat mixture and seal the edges so the eggs stay centered.

5. 5

   Whisk the tomato sauce with 60 ml water and pour it evenly over the top of the loaf. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until the center reaches 71°C (160°F) and the sauce is bubbling; if the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the last 15 minutes.

6. 6

   Rest the meatloaf in the pan for 10 minutes so juices redistribute and slices hold together cleanly. Carefully lift or pour off excess fat from the sauce if needed, then slice thickly to reveal the egg centers and spoon some tomato sauce over each portion.