MEATLOAF YOU CAN LOVE..
Are you afraid of MEATLOAF? Does the sound of that word make you run and hide, or shake uncontrollably?
I'm finding out that many people suffer from Post-Childhood Badly Made and Forcefed Meatloaf Syndrome.
Shocking. It's time for an Intervention..Dr.Drew, please take a little time off from Celebrity Rehab and let's work
on this sad and unfortunate malady which has affected so many innocent people.
Seriously...I can't tell you how many people fall apart or get really upset when they think they will have to eat
Meatloaf.. Yet these same people will devour a plate of meatballs. What gives?
My scientific (not really) analysis of this phenomenon is pretty basic..they ate really nasty or bland Meatloaf as
children and are spending the rest of their lives avoiding what they consider to be a vile food. I can't blame them.
Bad cooking as a child is the number one reason people don't eat certain things. Taste buds will change and
mature, so you may be eating something now that as a kid you would even be caught in the same room with. Funny.
But a memory of something that tastes lousy will stay with you forever. Consider me your savior now. Or at \least
I'll make an attempt to change your mind. I may fail..but I'll be able to sleep at night knowing that I tried to make
this place a better one through tasty Meatloaf.
Let me just say, that I make lots of different meatloaves...I'm not sure I follow one precise recipe everytime.
After all, a smart cook in the kitchen will find ways to use up bits and pieces of things, and meatloaf does lend
itself to your thrifty and efficient side. Some things which you certainly can tweek to your liking that I think are
really helpful in baking a tender and moist meatloaf are: sauteeing the onions and bacon together; adding water to
the mix; using a spoonful of Mayonaise instead of eggs., a nice array of condiments in the mix (ketchup, mustard,
Worchestershire, Tabasco), shredded cheese, herbs, garlic (of course). breadcrumbs, good ground meat. Did I say
onions? I'm emphasizing them...the flavor is not going to happen without a boatload of sauteed onions. What?
This isn't the way you make yours? Certainly, if you are happy with your loaf, leave it alone. This blogpost is
directed at the angry flash mob out there of abused meatloaf childhood memories because of bad meatloaf group.
By the way, for those you turn their noses up at such a Blue Plate Special Pedestrian Common dish, that Terrine
or Pate deCampagne you are eating with reckless abandon is really a meatloaf..
For a meatloaf for 6 people, use a 1 1/2 lbs of Meatloaf mix, that veal/pork/beef mixture, or turkey, or chicken, or
beef..Saute 4 strips of thick cut bacon that you have diced until almost crisp. Then add into the pan a large diced
onion. Sprinkle a little sugar and salt over it, then some black pepper. Lots of flavor there. Cook this on medium
for at least 10 minutes, stirring frequently so the onions do not scorch. They should be soft and translucent when
you are done. In a large bowl, beat together 1 tsp. of Worchestershire Sauce, 3 tbs. of ketchup, 2 tbs. of brown
mustard; 1 tsp. of Sriracha or a chili sauce; 1/8 cup of Mayonnaise, 2 tsp. of chopped fresh sage or thyme, 2 tsp.
of chopped fresh parsley. When it's all mixed, then add 1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs. Now add 1/8 cup of
water. Blend well. Pre heat the oven to 400 now. Add 1/4 cup shredded cheddar., 1 minced garlic clove. Mix, and.
with your hands, mix this up until it's all homogeneous (big word). A little of this and that will make this loaf
your own...feel free. (take me up on this offer, I never let you do that...lol). Form into a loaf on a pan or baking
dish. Not a loaf pan. Why?? Because...the fat ALL stays in the loaf, you want it to run out. Hardly pushing
this off as a healthy low fat dish, but seriously? Do you want to eat fat that really is just making your food, well,
fatty and greasy? Between the cheese, the mayo, and the meat, there will be a bit of rendered fat. Get rid of it.
That's right, I'm not telling you to make something else out of it, discard that excess fat. There will still be plenty
left in that loaf for moistness and flavor. In another bowl, mix 1/8 cup ketchup, 2 tbs. REAL Maple Syrup..
let me stop here for a moment.
Log Cabin, Aunt Jemima, while they may pull at our childhood memories, are awful. They are the blending of
lots of artificial ingredients, preservatives, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, stabilizers, hmm. what else..
artificial maple flavoring...seriously? Not a lecture on the dangers of processed foods here...some are ok...like
ketchup and mustard..but if you were to add this syrup instead of the REAL Maple Syrup the whole loaf
would take on the flavor of some hideous candy. Don't do it, better to just leave it out all together.
So blend the ketchup, mustard and Maple Syrup together. Slice an onion into thin 1/2 rings and cover the
outside of the loaf with them. Then glaze the loaf with that Syrup blend. Place into that oven and cook at
400 for the first 15 minutes. Rotate the pan and lower the heat to 375. Bake for 1/2 hour longer. Turn off
the heat and let it stay in the oven another 10 minutes. Pull out. and (FLAVOR ALERT HERE) let it cool
to room temperature completely. Loosely wrap, and set it into the fridge till the next day. Yes...this tastes
WAY better after an overnight stay in the fridge. To serve, gently reheat, then slice for serving.
Two days later, if you have any left, slap some cheddar on top of it, melt that, add your favorite BBQ sauce
to a roll and make yourself one satisfying Sandwich!!
Now pardon me as I wipe the BBQ Sauce, melted cheese and shrapnel from the meatloaf off of my face.
Posted by peter battaglia at 12/22/2011 11:37 PM 
Categories: PORK, MEATLOAF, BEEF
Tags: MEATLOAF MEAT BEEF PORK BACON MAPLE SYRUP
Categories: PORK, MEATLOAF, BEEF
Tags: MEATLOAF MEAT BEEF PORK BACON MAPLE SYRUP
What is this with meat loaves this Christmas? Not that I am screaming for 'help'!! Yours is the n/th blog today
And as far as the humble meatloaf: remember my second husband 'courting' me and offering to host a v imp 'professors''s dinner for me. Offered to cook meat loaf for mains and I thought this was the ultimate 'crazyness' for foodies!!! More so when he began with about a whole head of garlic and Lord knows how much in the way of onions and red capsicums
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my meatloaf adventure this week was purely a function of some ground meat in the fridge. I was so happy with the outcome (i'm always doing it different) that I decided to blog it after repeated comments and likes after I posted the pic on Facebook. Coincidence I guess..I've seen quite a few meatloaf posts on FB (one was done as individual portions made in muffin tins...i like that idea, will have to try that one time). You do need some sort of egg to bind it properly and keep it moist..the mayo really worked along with the water and shredded cheddar...have a very Happy Christmas!!!!
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This is one fave dish for which I surely do not have a definitive 'recipe' either! I was amused, as the main foodie column back here with whom I blog 365 [yup, crazy!] had just published one for turkey mince oblong patties wrapped in prosciutto, baked and served with holiday cranberries! Then yours came along!! Oh, remembering we are one day ahead of you: am actually doing your scallop/za'atar dish just as you served it!
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how cool!! awesome..and hope u like the scallops...u should be over here at the Jersey Shore right now..i'm cooking like a madman..lol..ok..even more than usual..trying to get things done for tomorrow and a start on Sunday's feast. At least on Sunday it's just the 4 of us so if nothing gets done, it's no big deal. Enjoy your Christmas Holidays Eha!!
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Peter, you have convinced me to try this. I am going to bake it in the muffin tins to avoid the whole loaf thing. After the New Year, I promise. And I'll give you a full and honest review!
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fair enough Tammy..lol...i'll be looking forward to it!! Happy Cooking!
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PETER, THANKS FOR ALL OF THIS INFO. IT'S FUN TO EAT AT THE COUNTRY CLUB, BUT THERE IS NOTHING LIKE HOME COOKING. I CAN'T WAIT TO TRY SOME OF THESE RECIPES, ESPECIALLY THE MEAT LOAF. I WILL BE ATTEMPTING TO USE SOME GROUND TURKEY TO KEEP THE CHOLESTROL DOWN. I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW I DO.
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