Babs Gonzales - Meat Loaf Special



1919-1980  Hometown : Newark NJ
Photo: W. Gottleib

 

Born Lee Brown, Babs was well-known vocalist of the Bebop era, and a regular on the Chitlin Circuit. He is most notable for penning the song "Oop-Pop-A-Da", which was originally recorded and performed by his own band (Three Bips and a Bop), and later made famous by Dizzy Gillespe.

Babs Gonzales’ Meat Loaf Special 

2 lb ground beef

2 large eggs

2 oz applesauce

1 c. bread crumbs

1 medium chopped onion

¼ c. chopped green bell pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 c. ketchup

1 c. chopped tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and thoroughly blend the mixture with your fingers. Add a small amount of milk if necessary to maintain moisture.

 

With a large spatula, transfer the meat into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Press down and form a small shallow indentation length-wise on top of the loaf.

 

Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the pan and pour off excess fat.

 

In a bowl, mix tomatoes with ketchup. Next, spread ketchup and tomato mixture in over the top of the loaf with most of it filling the indentation.

 

Return to oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully pour off excess fat.