Meatloaf

[suzilightning]

I have a meatloaf ready to be baked in my fridge at home right now.

i used a mix of organic beef and veal, minced red and green peppers, onions and carrots.

oatmeal with a bit of milk, an egg, some fresh herbs and kosher salt.

i free form it and bake it draped with bacon.

i'm doing that this weekend so my husband can have meatloaf sandwiches for lunch/breakfast

while we are doing our hawkwatch. i baked portugese sweet bread and will pack some herbed

mayonaise, ketchup and mixed baby greens for him.

since we are outside from about 8 am to 6 pm we have to bring everything with us and it has to be

easy to hold with one hand while using binoculars with the other. this week the menu includes breakfast

wraps,soy youghurt with fruit, pb & j sandwiches, homemade chicken nuggets with dipping sauces, tuna and whole wheat pasta

salad, tons of ice water and herbal tea.

[rozrapp]

Phaelon, do you have to worry about what might be in the paper (like chemicals, dyes, etc.), or can you just go for it? Sounds like a great idea to me; I'm just wondering whether you have to use "clean" bags?

Although it has been a long time since I have done so, I used to make "chicken in a bag." Just plain old brown paper bags from the grocery store, not necessarily new, but with some thickness to them. I made a paste of paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and peanut or vegetable oil, slathered it all over pieces of chicken, stuck the pieces into the bag, twisted the top of the bag to "seal" everything, placed the bag in a baking dish, and stuck it in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes. Chicken came out tender, moist and flavorful. If I were doing it now, I think I would throw in some onions and fresh garlic cloves (way back when, fresh garlic was not -- as it is now -- an ingredient which I used in my cooking repertoire). Mmmm.... I think I've given myself an idea....

[Jenny]

A recipe I found while looking for something else.

I use ground round a lot because I am a poor hungry student, maybe not hungry but poor, yes, muhum...

Sicilian Beef Roll

2 lbs ground beef

1 c. fresh bread crumbs

1/2 c. grated parmesan

1 tbsp. fresh basil

1 1/2 tsp. fresh oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c. tomato juice

2 lg eggs, beaten

8 thin slices of prosciutto

1 1/2 c. grated mozz

6 oz mozz, sliced

preheat to 350F.

Comine the ground beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, tomato juice,and eggs mix well. Place the mixture on a large sheet of wax paper and shape into a 10x12in rectangle. Top with prosciutto ; sprinkle with grated mozz. Starting with a short end roll up in jelly roll fashion. Place seam side down, in a 13x9 dish and bake for 1hr 15min. Lay sliced mozz on top of cooked beef and bake 5 min more.

let rest 5 min before slicing.

Sounds like something you could really play around with to make decent, cheap dinner.

Good luck.

[Fat Guy]

Jenny, did you find that online? If so can you provide a link? Thanks.

[Jenny]

Nope Fat Guy, found that one the old fashion way;

The Junior League Celebration Cookbook, it has some of the best recipes.

I can provide ISBN # or publisher web site if your interested.

[helenas]

inspired by this thread, i decided to do a meatloaf today, for which i went with the recipe from "Welcome to my kitchen" cookbook by Valenti.

Actually this particular recipe is on the web, as i mentioned in the "Porcini Powder" thread: Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce by Valenti.

The recipe calls for unusual amount of milk, that i was tempted to cut, but then i decided that Valenti knows better, and how right i was! ( i mean in me trusting Valenti). Just simple, plain WOW: this was the best meatloaf in my life (mind you, i don't have memories of mama's meatloaf - in russia there were panfried meat balls).

And it was picture-perfect, looking exactly the one on "New York" magazine picture.

[tommy]

inspired by this thread,  i decided to do a meatloaf today, for which i went with the recipe from "Welcome to my kitchen" cookbook by Valenti.

Actually this particular recipe is on the web, as i mentioned in the "Porcini Powder" thread: Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce by Valenti.

The recipe calls for unusual amount of milk, that i was tempted to cut, but then i decided that Valenti knows better, and how right i was! ( i mean in me trusting Valenti). Just simple, plain WOW: this was the best meatloaf in my life (mind you, i don't have memories of mama's meatloaf - in russia there were panfried meat balls).

And it was picture-perfect, looking exactly the one on "New York" magazine picture.

and i am now inspired. i can almost promise that this weekend i'll be doing *something* with meatloaf.

[maggiethecat]

Meatloaf....heavenly. And yes, Priscilla, leftovers for sandwiches are reason enough to make a meatloaf.

Two thirds ground beef, one third ground pork

Good handful of moist bread crumbs

egg

S&p, thyme, Worcestershire

And...the magic ingredient: Mrs. Grass's onion soup powder. Half an envelope.

Free form, no glaze. Sauce on the side.

Thanks Tommy! Menu planning for tomorrow is complete!

[Ladybug]

My husband opened his big ol' mouth and told his mother he was cooking a Mother's Day dinner for her. This basically means that I am cooking a Mother's Day dinner for her. We have to bring it to her house, as she doesn't go out anymore, so it needs to be transportable and reheatable. She requested meatloaf and macaroni and cheese. She hates mushrooms, but likes mostly anything else. I've only made meatloaf once in my life, as a newlywed. I made the recipe from the back of a Quaker Oatmeal box. It turned out that my husband "doesn't like meatloaf," so I never made meatloaf again.

Suggestions, anyone?

[bigbear]

Can you get your MIL's recipe?

[Dave the Cook]

I confess to failing at meatloaf for twenty years. I was finally cured by the Cook's Illustrated recipe. It's on their site in the member's section, which will cost you.

The keys, I think, are these:

• A mixture of beef, pork and veal gives you flavor, texture and body.
  
• To retain moisture without getting sloppy, make sure you balance the binder (usually some kind of starch, like crushed crackers, breadcurmbs or oatmeal) with the right amount of liquid (usually eggs plus some dairy).
  
• Don't use a loaf pan. You end up with boiled ground meat. I only use a loaf pan to shape the mixture, then turn it out on a foil-covered sheet pan.
  
• Cook to temperature: 160F is the magic number.
  

There's also a thread here.

Edited May 9, 2003 by Dave the Cook (log)

[Marlene]

I've added rozrapp's meatloaf recipe and Jaymes' meatloaf glaze recipe to the archives Meatloaf

[jackal10]

Cheat. I usally can't stand meatloaf but this is OK and easy.

1 lb sausage meat (sage and onion or extract the stuffing from your favourite sausage)

1 onion

Chop the onion, sweat off, and mix with sausage meat, or whizz together in a food processor. May need some more pepper. Mix in an egg if you want a lighter texture.

Press into non-stick loaf tin. Bake off - maybe 45 mins at 200C fairly hot oven. - I just put it in with the meat I'm roasting.

Pur off the fat (an inditment of the poor quality of stuff that goes into sausages)

Cool, press if you want. Turn out, slice, eat

[fifi]

Another vote for the CI recipe here. It also calls for... BACON! as in draped over it.

The sauce they used was really good too, one of those simple but surprising things. I think it was a half cup of the Heinze chili sauce, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar and a couple of tablespoons (I think) of cider vinegar (add and taste as you go). I usually don't like this kind of sweet thing but this was just right. I have used it for other recipes and dipping sauce since.

[Ladybug]

My mother-in-law is a miserable cook and has probably never cooked meatloaf in her life. The only thing I've ever known her to cook (probably less than 10 times in 12 and 1/2 years) is something she calls a "hot dish." Nasty! It varies with whatever she has in the cupboard - but it's usually ground beef, Minute rice or macaroni, canned corn, and some sort of tomato product. It ends up being quite soupy with large orange globs of grease floating on the top . . . and inedible. She lives on Hungry Man XXL microwave meals. I guess her standards aren't too high, so any meatloaf I make, as long as it's mushroom-less, will please her. She is a very nice lady, maybe the nicest I've ever met - I guess we can't all like to cook.

[Dave the Cook]

Another vote for the CI recipe here. It also calls for... BACON! as in draped over it.

Yes -- about 3/4 of a pound, God bless it.

But if, for some benighted reason, don't want to use it, the loaf comes out fine without it. You just don't get that smoky, porky overtone we all know and love.

[Ladybug]

Dave the Cook, do you think you could PM that recipe to me? I'm all about bacon!

[Dave the Cook]

Dave the Cook, do you think you could PM that recipe to me?  I'm all about bacon!

No problem. It's also in The Best Recipe cookbook.

[sladeums]

You can also get it online for anyone else interested:

click for CI's 'Best Meatloaf' recipe

[Dave the Cook]

You can also get it online for anyone else interested:

click for CI's 'Best Meatloaf' recipe

Thanks! You just saved me a lot of cutting and pasting.

[torakris]

I read the title and was going to come in here and rave about the CI meatloaf, but I see it has already been done!

I actually make it with out the bacon and the sauce, preferring instead to smear ketchup over the top, the way mom did!

By the way, my MIL loves this meatloaf and she requests it at least once a month!

[Ladybug]

Thank you, sladeums!

[Jaymes]

I actually make it without the bacon and the sauce, preferring instead to smear ketchup over the top, the way mom did!

I really have to put in a good word here for my ketchup-based meatloaf glaze. It's really, really good - if you're a fan of ketchup on your meatloaf.

And easy - ketchup, little mustard, horseradish, Worsty, little brown sugar...

And I usually do drape a few bacon strips overall as well.

The recipe (with exact amounts of ingredients) is in the recipe archives - and I swear to you that if you try it once, you won't go back to just plain ketchup ever again.

Edited May 9, 2003 by Jaymes (log)

[bellaS.F.]

I make a couple of variations of what I call Cajun Meatloaf. I mix salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, cumin, sometimes nutmeg, in a bowl. Begin to saute onions and peppers in butter and then add the spice mixture and chopped garlic. Add Worchestershire and some hot sauce to taste. Sometimes I add some frozen corn. The mixture thickens quickly. Let mixture cool. Add to meat with eggs, milk, & bread crumbs. You can also add some catsup. I do put catsup on the top but I want to try one of the glazes mentioned. I like to form a freehand loaf. The edges get really carmelized and crispy. Quite yummy.

[Jinmyo]

Ground chuck beef, ground pork shoulder, chopped lamb kidney, "fresh" bread crumbs, egg. Season with salt, fresh pepper, chipotle paste, chopped garlic, pistachios. Mix well. Wrap in thinly sliced double-smoked bacon (from a slab; have the butcher do it if you don't have a meat slicer), place in pan. One hour at 400F. Drain. Let rest ten minutes. Remove from pan and let rest a few minutes more. Slice thinly with a wet knife, drizzle with a Dijon mustard sauce (could just whip some white wine into the mustard).

Serve with roasted baby potatoes or mashed potatoes with ramps or roasted garlic and shaved fennel sauteed in butter with a few peels of parmesan.

Or as sandwiches in a crusty bread with blackened tomato slices and mustard with frites.