Oh Deer, Speaker Paul Ryan’s Loaf (serves 6)
Exclusive Recipe from A MEATLOAF IN EVERY OVEN by Frank Bruni & Jennifer Steinhauer’s
The only topic that animates House Speaker Paul Ryan more than the earned income tax credit and its potential adjustments in the context of tax reform is the killing of deer. He’s such an avid hunter that he grows a beard during deer season, talks endlessly about his wilderness escapades (which usually involve bows and arrows) and even told some of his colleagues that he was solo in a deer blind when he made the ultimate decision to run for Speaker.
The Speaker grinds his own meat, of course, employing a power grinder during hunting season. From that he makes his own venison meatloaf, which his family loves to devour. (He cooks, his wife does the dishes, per their marital accord.)
Apart from its protein, this loaf is a very traditional one, largely by dint of its onion soup mix, commercial bread crumbs and, of course, ketchup. Venison is lean, so the ground beef paired with it in this recipe should not be. And the beef is important: It mellows the gaminess of the venison. Don’t skimp on the ketchup, which gives this fairly dense loaf a pivotal zing.
“Ain’t no way Ryan is doing a P90X workout after eating this!” noted one taster.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1 pound ground venison
1/2 pound fatty ground beef, preferably not more than 70 percent lean
1 envelope Lipton Recipe Secrets onion soup mix
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup Progresso Italian-style bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
1 — Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil, or, alternatively, get out your nonstick loaf pan.
2– Warm the oil in a medium-sized skillet over low heat, add the onions and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3 — Combine the meats, onion soup mix, Worcestershire, bread crumbs and egg in a large bowl and mix gently with your clean hands until combined. Add the cooled onions and knead them into the mixture until just incorporated.
4 — Form the mixture into a loaf in the prepared baking pan, or gently press it into the loaf pan, and glaze the top with the ketchup. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, about 65 minutes.
5 — Let the loaf rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
For more, check out A Meatloaf in Every Oven by Frank Bruni & Jennifer Steinhauer. Published by Grand Central Publishing. Copyright © 2017 Frank Bruni & Jennifer Steinhauer.
