PERSIAN-INSPIRED BUNDT MEATLOAF WITH POMEGRANATE SAUCE

I’m really excited about this Persian-inspired bundt meatloaf recipe. I came up with the idea of making this dish last night and was lucky to have all the ingredients at home. I was a bit anxious about the way it was going to turn out. It would be a waste of time if it didn’t come out in one piece. It did come out in perfect shape and it was incredibly moist and scrumptious too.

There’s good reason for making food with a touch of glamour now. Many of us will be celebrating two occasions next week. There’s Christmas obviously, and Yalda, the ancient festival of Winter Solstice that Iranians celebrate on the evening of December 21st. Two celebrations in one week. Good to beat the winter gloom, right? Food will be the centre of both occasions and what’s better than sharing food with loved ones in a festive environment?

Filling the bundt tin with a layer of the beef mixture, then eggs, carrots (I used both orange and purple) and spinach.
We celebrate Yalda with company, food and drinks, candles, games and poetry. Pomegranates and watermelons are Yalda staples. I guess it’s because of the red colour of these fruits. Red is associated with fire and therefore with the sun and light. Yalda, the longest night of the year, is the night that the Sun goes to battle with the powers of darkness. It will win some ground on the first day of winter and gradually bring about more light and longer days and lead to the complete rebirth of nature on the day of the Spring Equinox (which we also celebrate, as our New Year).

Symbolism plays a huge role in the types of food eaten during Persian festivals. The food of New Year (Nowrouz) is usually green, like green rice, and there are plenty of growth and rebirth symbols around in the Nowrouz decorations too. According to some theories Christmas is related to ancient Winter Solstice festivals of the pagans and Mithras, the Sun God of the Romans. Whatever the origins of Christmas, it’s a great time to celebrate and be merry!

Cover the eggs, spinach and carrots carefully with a layer of the beef mixture and make sure there are no gaps on the sides.
Back to my meatloaf: I make meatloaf only once in a while and try to make it a bit different every time but I had never made one with pomegranate sauce. This was my first time and I’m so glad I acted on what at first seemed like one of those crazy ideas that spring up to mind when one is too tired of doing the same things over and over again.

The inspiration for making the pomegranate sauce came from a gorgeous huge pomegranate that had been sitting on the counter for a few days. The jewel-like seeds of pomegranates (arils) can be sweet, sour, sweet and sour and the colour may range from pinkish white to very dark red. Whatever the colour or flavour it’s always a great thing to cook with. It had to be pomegranates in one form or another this time.

Pomegranate seeds, caramelised onions, pomegranate molasses and tomato purée are the main ingredients of the delicious sauce for my meatloaf.
First I made a sauce with pomegranate molasses and pomegranate seeds similar to the sauce I make for my Persian chicken in pomegranate sauce. The scrumptious, slightly sweet and sour, pomegranate studded sauce is really delicious with chicken and I thought it should work with meat too. It did. Drizzled on the meatloaf it made such huge change from the ordinary to the festive. Best meatloaf I’ve ever made, seen or had, seriously.

My mum used to make huge meatballs (koofteh) which she stuffed with boiled eggs, walnuts, barberries, dried plums and caramelised onions. I loved the boiled eggs in her meatballs so decided to stuff the meatloaf with boiled eggs and some spinach I had in the fridge like her kooftehs and this worked beautifully too.

Luxury meatloaf dressed with the pomegranate sauce and ready to slice.
When I finally took the tin out of the oven and turned the meatloaf out I was surprised by how perfect it came out. No trouble at all. Cakes sometimes give me a hard time but this was as easy as pie! I had made the sauce while waiting for the meatloaf to bake so there was really no last minute work. I just drizzled the sauce on the meatloaf and TOOK PICTURES! I had to make the photography very quick so we could have our dinner before the meatloaf got cold. The rest is history.

Slice of bundt meatloaf with pomegranate sauce.
This meatloaf will serve eight people. You can always divide the quantities in half and bake the meatloaf in a loaf tin which will also look stunning when sliced. Serve with some sort of crusty bread and a crisp, green salad. Oh, by the way, this tastes great cold too as I found out today so you may want to try it on a brunch menu.

PS: Do use lean beef mince (10 to 12%). There’s so much flavour going on in this meatloaf that you really don’t need the extra fat. For loaf tin use half the amounts given below.

Ingredients:

For layering and assembling the meatloaf:

3 medium red onions, finely chopped
4 tbsp oil (extra virgin rapeseed is best)
Pinch of salt
250g baby spinach, washed and drained well
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2-3 small carrots, boiled and sliced lengthways
4 medium eggs, boiled and peeled
For the mince mixture:

1 kilo (two pounds) lean minced beef
2 egg yolks and one whole egg, lightly whisked
2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed well
1 1/2 tsp crushed sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of nutmeg
1 tbsp dried mint
1/2 tbsp dried dill
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 large knob of butter to grease the tin
For the sauce and garnish:

180g pomegranate seeds
3 tbsp tomato purée
20g butter
400ml of boiling water or low-sodium stock
4-5 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or as required)
salt and pepper to taste
Chopped or slivered pistachios to garnish (optional)
Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the chopped onions with a pinch of salt on medium-low heat until caramelised. Divide in half. Remove one half from the pan and set aside.
Add the spinach to the caramelised onions in the frying pan and cover. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Uncover and cook, stirring from time to time, until all the juices evaporate and the spinach looks almost dry. Leave to cool.
Put all the ingredients for the mince mixture (except the butter) in a large bowl and add the pomegranate molasses and half of the reserved caramelised onions. Mix thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 260C/500F (or full whack) and grease the bundt tin with the butter.
To assemble the meatloaf put less than half of the mince mixture in the tin and press down. Make four shallow holes in the mince to hold the boiled eggs. Lay the eggs in the holes and arrange slices of boiled carrots around the eggs avoiding the sides of the tin. Cover the eggs and carrots with the onion-spinach mixture, again avoiding the sides as much as possible. Fill the sides with some of the mince mixture and cover with the rest of the mince. Press the mince gently and smooth the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the top is beginning to brown. This is a very high temperature meant to seal the loaf so keep an eye on it.
Reduce the oven to 220C/400F and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and there are no pink juices when you insert a skewer down the meatloaf. There will be a lot of juice from the mince mix that need to reduce. You don’t want it to dry completely or burn though so keep an eye on your lovely bundt loaf during the last ten minutes and cook longer if required. When done an instant read thermometer inserted in the loaf should register 160C.
Remove the tin from the oven, cover with foil and let rest for five minutes. Drain the juices into a small bowl (shouldn’t be more than half a cup) and return the meatloaf to the oven (in the tin, covered with foil) to keep warm while you are making the sauce.
Reserve some of the pomegranate seeds for garnishing and put the the rest with the remaining 1/4 of the caramelised onions in a frying pan and cook for five minutes on medium-low heat. Stir from time to time. Add the tomato purée and the butter and cook for a couple of minutes while stirring. Add the boiling water (or stock if using), the juices from the meatloaf and the pomegranate molasses. Stir and bring back to the boil. Cook until the sauce is a little reduced. Season with salt and pepper if required.
To serve put a dish on top of the bundt tin and holding tight with both hands turn out the meatloaf. Use oven gloves and be very careful not to splatter juices (if not drained properly before) on yourself. Spoon the sauce over the meatloaf and garnish with the reserved pomegranate seeds and pistachios. Serve hot or cold with warmed bread and a leafy green salad.