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1 teaspoon stemmed thyme

1 bay leaf

Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 325°F. Sprinkle the flour on a large plate and set aside.

Make sure your hands are clean and dry. Mix the ground veal, ground beef, bread crumbs, mustard, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, nutmeg, fennel seeds,

½ teaspoon pepper, and the egg in a large bowl until uniform. Don’t mush the meat’s fibers into a paste; instead, get the ingredients evenly distributed in a still slightly coarse mixture.

Form into a loaf about 10 inches long but flat on the bottom. Roll in the flour to coat and set aside.

Heat a large, deep, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the olive oil, then gently slip the meat loaf into the pan. Brown on all sides, turning occasionally with two large spatulas, about 6 minutes. As the meat browns, its gets firmer—and easier to turn.

Sprinkle the mushrooms around the meat loaf. Continue cooking until they give off their liquid, stirring them as you can around the meat, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the garlic in the pan; continue cooking until the mushroom liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes.

Pour in the vermouth or wine; continue cooking until it has reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes, carefully turning the meat loaf once if it browns and continuing to stir the mushrooms in the pan as you can.

Add the tomatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaf, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon pepper to the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Cover the pan, place in the oven, and bake, basting occasionally with the pan juices and sauce, until the meat loaf is lightly browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the loaf registers 155°F (our preference) or 165°F (the USDA recommendation), 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before slicing; discard the bay leaf before serving.

Variations: Add 1 small onion, finely chopped, with the mushrooms.

Substitute a dry red wine for the vermouth or white wine.

Omit the fennel seeds; add ½ teaspoon caraway seeds to the sauce with the beef stock.

After you remove the meat loaf, pour the sauce into a medium saucepan, stir in ½ cup heavy cream, and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes to thicken somewhat.

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Pork

The quality of pork has improved dramatically with great studies in its safety, its taste, and even its fat content (it’s about 30% leaner than in the 1980s). For culinary purposes, a pig is divided into four sections: loin (tenderloin, loin, and all chops), leg (ham), side (ribs and American-style bacon), and shoulder (hocks and most ground pork, as well as the cuts for pulled pork). The order of these recipes follows those demarcations.

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From the Loin

Boneless Pork Cutlets with Apples and Leeks

It’s hard to find a faster, easier, or more flavorful dinner than boneless pork chops. They’re simply the loin sliced into rounds. Look for center-cut chops—also sometimes called “center-cut pork cutlets.” The loin is actually divided into three sections with its center being the leanest and tastiest. We prefer thicker, meatier chops, a good foil to bold sauces. Makes 4 servings

Four thick 6-to 8-ounce boneless center-cut pork loin chops

1 teaspoon salt, plus more if needed

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, split lengthwise, washed carefully of any grit between the layers, then thinly sliced into half-moons

2 large tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Pippin, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1½ teaspoons caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the canola oil, then slip the chops into the pan. Brown on both sides, about 3 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a plate; set aside.

Add the butter, let it melt, then add the leeks and apples. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.