I made Meatloaf for the first time, last weekend. Not only did it turn out really well, but it is also very easy to make, feeds a crowd for not a lot of money and satisfies meat lovers. I have to share this with you.
Meatloaf can be thought of as a giant meatball, after all, it’s essentially made with the same ingredients but instead of rolling bits of the meat mixture into balls and cooking them, the mixture is gathered in a mass and baked in a loaf pan or shaped into a log and baked on a rimmed sheet pan. When I picked up the 2-pound packet of ground beef, my intention was to make meatballs, however, given the multitude of things I had to get done the following day, I knew that I would not be in a mood to patiently measure and roll meatballs then stand at the stove cooking the lot in batches. I prefer to cook my meatballs on the stovetop, unless I am cooking them in a sauce – then I bake them. Anyway, into a loaf pan went the seasoned meat mixture for my first Meatloaf.
Everything that I had read, seen, and heard about Meatloaf always spoke of the dryness of the finished product. It seemed to be the one feature of Meatloaf that was, understandably, a turn off for many people. And in most cases, the Meatloaf was served with a gravy to temper its dryness. In my case, I used a ratio of mince that was 80 percent meat and 20 percent fat, which always guarantees me tender meatballs, but I was not taking any chances because the Meatloaf needed to cook for about an hour. Therefore, I opted to include fresh rather than dry breadcrumbs. And, instead of adding them just as they were, I softened them with milk, letting the mixture sit for about 20 minutes and then mashing it with a fork to create almost a thick, porridge-like consistency.
Another thing I noticed in many recipes had to do with the onions (a key ingredient) – most recommended cooking the onions first, while others suggested grating the onions or opting for a very fine mince. From my cooking experience, I know that adding certain aromatics and flavour ingredients raw to particular dishes rarely results in the taste you are after and that is because they have not been allowed to contribute to the dish with the flavour notes and umami that they can provide when treated with heat in certain ways. Therefore, I sautéed (cooked gently), the onions, garlic, thyme, celery and hot peppers together before adding them to the ground meat. Together, they added great depth of flavour to the meatloaf. Here’s the thing about onions in things like meatballs and meatloaf – they add tenderness and sweetness, that is why it is best to cook them until softened with all their complex flavour intact, then add them to stuffing and ground meat mixtures. And don’t be shy about the amount of onions you use – raw, it may seem like overkill in volume but when cooked down, they reduce by more than half.
A tip I read from a blog friend of mine was to season the Meatloaf with bouillon cubes instead of salt; I was making Meatloaf with beef, so I seasoned my Meatloaf with beef cubes and lots of freshly ground black pepper. The last ingredient was the eggs – 1 large egg for each pound of ground meat. That’s a rule of thumb to use for meatballs and meatloaves.
Ketchup and barbecue sauce were ingredients that many recipes called for – some to be put directly into the meat mixture and others to glaze the Meatloaf with several minutes before it is finished cooking. I did not add either. Personal preference. However, I did add some Worcestershire sauce, which is a go-to ingredient for me when cooking meats, especially beef. I don’t know, it adds something there that you can’t figure out, but it makes the meat really tasty.
Into a loaf pan and into the oven went the Meatloaf and within 25 minutes, the aroma of meat cooking filled the kitchen and wafted into the living room. I thought to myself, this had better taste as good as it smells. Secretly, I was worried about whether or not it was going to be dry from the long cooking and I kept second-guessing myself about whether or not to glaze the meatloaf before it came out of the oven. What if it looked like a dull mass of meat?
I checked at the 45-minute cooking mark and the loaf was browning nicely, 15 minutes later, an attractive brown crust glistened at me. Well, it looked good. How will it taste? Meatloaf, like any roast meat or pies like Macaroni Pie or Lasagna should rest before cutting or slicing. I left the Meatloaf to rest for a good 30 minutes, staying hot and absorbing the juices at the bottom of the pan.
The loaf was transferred to a platter and then the moment arrived, time for the true test – would be Meatloaf be dry? I cut the first slice, then a second and third, as if in slow motion, the slices fell gently one on top of the other, bending slightly but not breaking. That said it was not dry, but I wanted more confirmation, so I cut into one of the slices and took a bite. It was perfect. Moist, well-seasoned, meaty and had great flavour. I shook my head and wondered – why have I never made Meatloaf before?
My meal that day was Meatloaf with boil and fry cassava; on another occasion with rice and peas, and before long, I was eating it with things like fried okras and fried rice. Morning sausage patty – oh yeah. And the Meatloaf is perfect for sandwiches. Even when I sliced the Meatloaf after storing the refrigerator and reheating the slices in a pan on the stovetop, it remained tender and soft, not dry at all.
There are versions of Meatloaf to be found all over the world – from South America to Europe to the Middle East. A Meatloaf is ground meat – beef, pork, veal, chicken, turkey – mixed with seasonings, formed into a loaf and cooked in an oven. This, my first experience with making Meatloaf has really been a good one and it will definitely become one of my go-to dishes because as I said at the beginning – it can feed lots of people and is budget-friendly. Apart from that, you can use it in so many ways. I can’t wait to try it with other types of ground meat or various combos thereof.
Cynthia
Meatloaf
Yield: 1 (9 x 5) loaf
INGREDIENTS
● 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
● Evaporated milk or whole milk
● 4 tablespoons oil
● 3 cups of finely chopped onions
● 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
● Minced hot pepper to taste
● ¼ cup finely chopped celery
● 1½ tablespoons finely minced thyme
● Salt and pepper to taste
● 2 pounds ground beef (80:20 meat to fat ratio)
● 2 large eggs, room temperature
● Beef bouillon cubes
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly brush a 9 x 5 loaf pan with oil and set aside.
3. Mix the breadcrumbs with enough milk to make it wet but not watery. Set aside
and give a stir a couple of times.
4. Add oil to a frying pan and place over medium heat; when hot but not smoking,
add onions, garlic, pepper, celery, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix,
reduce heat to low and cook until softened. Do not let the mixture brown. Remove
from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Add beef to a large bowl along with cooled seasonings (including any oil
drippings), soaked breadcrumbs (and any moisture in the bowl) along with the eggs
and grated or finely crushed beef bouillon cubes
6. With clean hands mix everything together but do not overmix and keep your
fingers open (like a fork) as you mix. Do not squeeze the meat.
7. Take a teaspoon of the mixture and fry in the pan you used to cook the aromatics –
taste for seasoning (mainly salt and pepper); adjust to suit your taste and re-taste
by cooking another teaspoon of mixture if necessary.
8. Transfer mixture to pan making it compact but do not press down too tightly.
Smooth the top evenly.
9. Bake in oven for 50 – 60 minutes or until the top is brown and shiny (there will be
juices at the bottom on the pan).
10. Remove from oven and let rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.
The longer the loaf rests, the better it slices.
NOTES
● Dried breadcrumbs can be used in place of fresh, however, only use 1 heaped cup
of dried breadcrumbs and note that you will need more milk to moisten the
crumbs.
● The onion and herbs mixture can be seasoned with bouillon cubes instead of salt.
● Instead of using bouillon cubes to season the meatloaf, you can use salt.
● I like the flavour of black pepper, so I added more to the meatloaf along with the
bouillon (this is purely optional)
● Put the pan on a sheet pan to catch any spills as the Meatloaf cooks.
● If you would like to glaze your meatloaf, brush it with ketchup or barbecue sauce 15
minutes before it is done cooking then return it to the oven.
