The Meatloaf That Made Me a Meatloaf Fan
Posted by Arwen Mosher in Food on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:42 PM
Some people love meatloaf, and some people hate it. I’m not in either camp. I’ve always felt indifferently toward meatloaf. I’d eat it without complaint if someone served it to me, but I certainly never went out of the way to make it for myself.
Then some friends had us over for dinner and served meatloaf. It was absolutely delicious. I was shocked to find myself turning down a second helping of potatoes (and I love potatoes) in favor of a second helping of meatloaf. It was a breakthrough: the meatloaf that made me like meatloaf.
I asked for the recipe and wasn’t surprised to find out that this particular meatloaf is more work-intensive than the average. But it is very much worth it!
Tonight I made this meatloaf for dinner with broccoli and cheesy potatoes. The potatoes took way longer than I’d expected, so we ended up eating the meatloaf and broccoli as our entire meal. Halfway through his second piece of meatloaf, my husband sighed happily and said, “Who needs potatoes? This meatloaf is so good that I don’t want anything else.”
I hope you agree.
All-American Meatloaf
slightly adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen cookbook
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp dried parsley
½ tsp dried thyme
¾ cup ketchup
3/8 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
⅔ cup crushed saltine crackers OR 1⅓ cups fresh breadcrumbs
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.*
2. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic, parsley, and thyme and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs briefly. Add milk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add beef, pork, and crumbs and mix thoroughly.
5. Shape meat mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf on baking sheet, and brush with half of the ketchup sauce. Bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with remaining sauce. Bake approximately 15 minutes more, until interior reaches 160° on a meat thermometer. Allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
*I’ve found it works even better to use a broiler pan. Cover the top piece with foil then poke holes so the juices from the meat can drain as it bakes.
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