I've never had meatloaf before. It's a dish that you know about because it's often mentioned on American sitcoms. But I've never actually tasted it (or even seen it!) before. It was the perfect dish for a cold winter's evening.

This is the last recipe I'll be sharing from Jamie's Ministry of Food. The book has been a winner so far. I'm really looking forward to cooking more recipes from this cookbook. I think it's a great addition to any cookbook collection.

Pot-roast Meatloaf
Serves 4-6 (this was 2 meals for Andrew and me)

2 medium onions olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 level teaspoon ground cumin 1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander 12 Jacob's cream crackers (like Sao's) 2 teaspoons dried oregano 2 heaped teaspoons Dijon mustard 500g good-quality minced beef 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic 2 cloves of garlic ½ - 1 fresh red chilli, to your taste 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary 12 slices of smoked bacon or pancetta, preferably free-range or organic 1 lemon

To make your meatloaf:
Preheat the oven to full whack. Peel and finely chop one of the onions - don't worry about technique, just chop away until fine. Place in a large frying pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the ground cumin and coriander. Fry and stir every 30 seconds for 7 minutes or until softened and lightly golden, then put into a large bowl to cool. Wrap the crackers in a tea towel and smash up until fine, breaking up any big bits with your hands. Add to the bowl of cooled onions with the oregano, mustard and minced beef. Crack in the egg and add another good pinch of salt and pepper. With clean hands, scrunch and mix up well. Move the meat mixture to a board, then pat and mould it into a large, rugby ball shape. Rub it with a little oil. You can either cook it straight away or put it on a plate, cover and place in the fridge until needed. Place the meatloaf in a casserole-type pan or baking dish, put it into the preheated oven and turn down the temperature immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Bake for half an hour.

To make your meatloaf sauce:
Peel the other onion and chop into 1cm pieces. Peel and slice the garlic. Finely slice the red chilli. Place the onion, garlic and chilli in a large pan on a medium high heat with 2 lugs of olive oil, the paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for around 7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until softened and lightly golden. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chickpeas, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and let it slowly simmer for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if needed.

To finish off and serve your meatloaf:
Pick the rosemary leaves off the woody stalks and put them into a little bowl. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and pour all the fat from the pan over the rosemary leaves and mix up well. Spoon your sauce around the meatloaf. Lay the slices of bacon or pancetta over the top of the meatloaf and sauce. Scatter over the rosemary leaves. Put the pan back into the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon turns golden and the sauce is bubbling and delicious. Serve with a mixed leaf salad and some wedges of lemon for squeezing over - this will add a nice sharp tang.