Lamb, Guinness, and a good Irish Cheddar, all wrapped in bacon and glazed with more Guinness, um....yum! Could there be a more perfect meal than that for St. Patrick's Day? Possibly, but for know, I am going with this wonderful meatloaf recipe packed full of flavor.
The original recipe called for a mixture of ground beef and lamb, but since this has an Irish twist with the addition of a stout beer and cheddar, I figured the lamb would be a good pairing. I omitted the celery and carrots because I do not care for a meatloaf packed with veggies. I like to keep it simple with lots of onions and a bit of garlic in order for the flavor of the meat to shine through. After all, this is a meatloaf, not a veggieloaf (save the vegetables for a side dish). I also like a tightly textured meatloaf when I slice into it. I drives me bonkers when I see a beautiful meatloaf that falls apart when cut, so I use the food processor to process the meat a bit further. Fewer binders are needed and the end result is much more juicy and tender. Wrapping it in bacon adds flavor to an already tasty mixture. Also, I had a half bottle of Guiness Extra Stout left over from the reduction and I knew I could put it to a good use. Down the hatch was my first thought, but I resisted and decided to take a pointer from the Triple Chocolate Guinness Cookies and made a reduced syrup to glaze the top. Boy, oh boy! Is this ever good. There is sweetness from the glaze, smokiness from the bacon, and a deep, rich flavor from the meats and cheese. My middle child doesn't particularly care for lamb. After she asked for seconds, I let her in on the main ingredient. She was surprised. I believe her words were, "If all lamb tasted like this, I would eat it all the time."
I wrote the recipe for one large loaf, but I actually made two. One for dinner and one for leftovers. Not just warmed up leftovers, but sandwiches made with toasted white bread, a good schmear of mayonnaise, and pickled red onions. I might make it again just for the sandwiches ☺!
