1 c. soft rye bread crumbs
1/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lg. yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef round
1/2 lb. lean ground pork shoulder
1/2 c. each grated Parmesan cheese & minced fresh parsley
2 eggs
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl soak the bread crumbs in the milk and set aside. Heat the oil in a small skillet over moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Cool until warm to the touch.

In a large bowl, mix the beef, pork, Parmesan cheese, parsley, eggs, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, bread crumb mixture and onion/garlic mixture with your hands. Pack the mixture into a greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pan. Bake the meatloaf, uncovered, for 50 to 55 minutes or until it pulls away from the side of the pan and has a dark brown crust.