Lobster Club Meatloaf

This recipe is from the Lobster Club Restaurant in New York City. If you use dried herbs, the ratio is 3 fresh to 1 dried.

3/4 pound bacon, finely chopped
4 large leeks (white part only), finely chopped
3 red bell peppers, chopped
2 onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds ground beef chuck
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, rinsed and well chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
3 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup prepared tomato sauce

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until browned. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon fat in the skillet. In the remaining fat, cook the leeks, red peppers, onions and garlic until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine beef, mustard, thyme, sage, rosemary, Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper and 3 cups of the bread crumbs. Do not over-mix. Turn the meat mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet and form into a 10 x 5-inch oval loaf. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs over the loaf., spread with the tomato sauce, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Cover the loaf loosely with aluminum foil and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.