Meat Tamale Loaf (Beef, Lamb, Pork, Veal, or Ham)

Recipe No. 295 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Milk, evaporated — 4—14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 3 quarts (3 No. 56 dippers)

Cornmeal — 5 pounds (3⅔ No. 56 dippers)

• Onions, finely chopped — 2 pounds (2 No. 56 dippers)
• Garlic, finely chopped — 4 cloves
• Fat — 2½ pounds (1¼ No. 56 dippers)
• Tomatoes — 2 No. 10 cans
• Corn — 2 No. 10 cans
• Meat, cooked, ground — 20 pounds
• Eggs — 30 eggs (1½ No. 56 dippers)
• Chili powder — as needed
• Salt — 8 ounces (¼ No. 56 dipper)

Directions

Key ingredients

Evaporated Milk

1. Mix milk and water. Add cornmeal to milk. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and cook until thick, stirring constantly.
2. Cook onions and garlic in fat until soft. Add tomatoes and corn.
3. Combine cornmeal, vegetables, cooked meat, eggs, chili powder, and salt. Heat to boiling point.
4. Pour into baking pans. Bake in moderate oven (350° to 400° F.) about 45 minutes.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Milk, evaporated — ½ can (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 15⅓ tbsp Cornmeal — 6⅓ oz Onions, finely chopped — 2½ oz Garlic, finely chopped — ⅓ cloves Fat — 3¼ oz Tomatoes — 2 cups Corn — 2 cups Meat, cooked, ground — 1 lb 9⅔ oz Eggs — 2⅓ eggs Chili powder — to taste Salt — ⅔ oz

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 295, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.