When we asked for Reader’s Recipes – YOUR recipes – to expand beyond the professional chef/restaurant parameters for our “What to Cook” feature, we were confident we’d get some great culinary secrets (and probably a good story or two).

I’m not sure, though, we were expecting to go international via a Queens-based Franciscan brother, Leonard Conway, who is president of St. Francis Prep School in Fresh Meadows, Queens – the largest private Catholic high school in America. Founded in 1858 by Franciscan brothers, the co-ed school has 2,400-plus students enrolled in grades 9 through 12.

Brother Leonard, it so happens, summers on his boat in Clinton, and saw our request for readers’ recipes whilst bobbing gently in the waters of Long Island Sound.

Even cooler? As the photo indicates, St. Francis Prep helps a school in Kenya. Brother Leonard has visited and stayed with the Kenyan brothers, and St. Francis Prep has helped their siblings across the water with such things as bicycles, computers, tiled classroom floors, water towers – and a new school kitchen. It was in the latter that Father Leonard showed the Kenyan brother how to make his meatloaf – theretofore a carefully curated secret. Sweet charity.

Now YOU can make this fine dish. All thanks to Father Leonard – who loves to sail into New London for events like Sailfest, tall ships in port and lighthouse tours. I suggest we make him an honorary New Londoner.

BROTHER LEONARD CONWAY’S MEATLOAF

Serves 6 but can adjust meat to serve more

Ingredients

1 lb chopped steak meat (good quality chopped beef meat)

1/2 pound chopped veal

1/2 pound chopped pork

1 diced onion

1 diced yellow or orange pepper

1 egg

Italian breadcrumbs

Seasoning to taste

Directions

Use a strainer to drain one can of unpeeled Italian tomatoes into a bowl or pot.

After draining, save sauce liquid and crush Italian tomatoes into the mix.

Mix all together, adding more breadcrumbs to make firm.

Shape the loaf into football-like shape in a disposable aluminum tray.

On top of loaf, add 3 pieces of bacon length-wise. Cut one piece in half and place the two pieces across the top width-wise.

Cut up 2 large onions, peeled in half, and put in each corner of tray.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, rotate after 30 minutes.

After, pour drained tomatoes sauce over entire top.

Bake additional hour, rotating after 30 minutes and basting loaf with juices a few times during last hour.

After 2 hours, remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes.

Put on platter -- ready to carve and serve!

(Recommend serving with sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes and ear of corn – or your vegetable of choice)