Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double beatloaf I hate meatloaf is such a great movie quote. In keeping with the holiday theme I have going this week it seems fitting to title the meatloaf post with a little Christmas Story. A movie which TBS will start showing in just over a week. Can you believe tomorrow is going to be a week until Thanksgiving? That is another post entirely. Today it is all about meatloaf and Joe. I have always loved meatloaf and when I moved in with Joe and Corrine I found someone else that loved it as much as I do It was a big deal the nights I made it at the house. Corrine as a vegetarian doesn’t exactly share our love so it isn’t something Joe makes for dinner on the nights he would cook
Meatloaf is sort of like lasagna for me. I rarely follow a recipe to the letter. There is always a lot of improvising in both recipes. You probably won’t get exactly the same thing every time. Though I am going to keep last nights version because it was so darn good. I may even make it for Joe when they come to visit in December.
In the Feb/Mar 2011 issue of Fine Cooking they had a feature on meatloaf. It was part of the cooking without recipes series they do. It allows you to create your own variety of meatloaf. They have added this to the website. There is an interactive app that allows you to drag ingredients into the bowl and Create your own Meatloaf. When you are done you can email the recipe or print it. There are other create your own recipe options as well such as chicken soup and risotto. If you don’t have a lot of confidence in the kitchen just throwing things together this can be a great start. You have the structure of the cooking ingredients but get to choose the flavors.
Below is my meatloaf from last night. I have shown the recipe step by step as well as posted it at the bottom in a traditional format so you can copy it if you want to give it a try.
First you cook the aromatics the onion bell peppers, carrots, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until warm.
In a shallow dish that holds it in a single layer, soak the bread in the milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the coarseness and freshness of the bread. Lightly squeeze a handful of bread at a time to remove some of the milk (it should be wet but not drenched). Finely chop and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. I don’t have a picture of this step because I was lazy last night. Don’t be lazy. It made the meatloaf more crumbly than I wanted. You need the bread to be moist to bind the meatloaf and make it a good consistency.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Add the sausage, lamb, beef and eggs to the onion mixture.
Scatter the chiles, Parmigiano, cumin, and chile powder over the meat, and then sprinkle with the Worcestershire, 2-1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Use your hands to gently mix all the ingredients until just combined; try not to compact the mixture as you do this.
Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the baking pan and form into a 10×4-inch rectangular block (it becomes loaf-shaped as it cooks). Spread the honey over the top and lightly down the sides of the meatloaf to glaze it.
Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the center of the meatloaf, 40 to 55 minutes.
Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter with a large spatula and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch-thick slices.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. canola or olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup small-diced bell pepper (any color)
- 1/2 cup small-diced carrots
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 4 oz. medium-coarse white bread, such as Italian or French, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2-1/2 cups)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 lb. bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage
- 2/3 lb. ground lamb
- 2/3 lb. ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbs. diced green chiles
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- a pinch of cinnamon
- 1 Tbs. medium hot chile powder
- 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbs. honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion, bell peppers, carrots, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until warm.
- In a shallow dish that holds it in a single layer, soak the bread in the milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the coarseness and freshness of the bread. Lightly squeeze a handful of bread at a time to remove some of the milk (it should be wet but not drenched). Finely chop and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.
- Add the sausage, lamb, beef and eggs to the onion mixture. Scatter the chiles, cheese, cumin, and chile powder over the meat, and then sprinkle with the Worcestershire, 2-1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Use your hands to gently mix all the ingredients until just combined; try not to compact the mixture as you do this.
- Heat the remaining 1 tsp. of oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Form 1 Tbs. of the meatloaf mixture into a small patty. When the oil is hot, cook the patty on both sides until cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and other seasonings as needed. Repeat until you're satisfied with the flavor.*I never do this step but it is here in case you want to taste before you cook.
- Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the baking pan and form into a 10x4-inch rectangular block (it becomes loaf-shaped as it cooks). Spread the honey over the top and lightly down the sides of the meatloaf to glaze it.
- Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the center of the meatloaf, 40 to 55 minutes.
- Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter with a large spatula and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch-thick slices.
