I'm not sure what previous generations have done to make meatloaf instill fear and loathing in the general populous, but it's a damn shame. If you want something filling, easy and delicious, meatloaf fits the bill. It is something that has to be cooked by feel / taste so the first turn out might not be perfect but I've yet to have a bad turn out with these basics.
Basic ingredients:
ground beef
eggs
Italian bread crumbs
oatmeal
onion
salt, pepper, garlic, tarragon & marjoram.
Start with 2lbs ground beef (substitute 1/4 lb with ground sausage for a spicier turnout), 2 - 3 med eggs, 1 med onion, ~ 1 1/2 c bread crumbs, ~ 1 c oatmeal (uncooked) & then add spices to taste. When combined, it should be tacky without being soupy and hold its shape.
Shape it however you want but I'd recommend keeping it relatively short / squat. I have no idea why folks like to used bread pans for meatloaf, it just doesn't end well. I use a standard oval corningware dish and bake it covered until the thermometer reads med-well for beef then uncover and let the top brown until it reads well done. You can cook it at 350F or 375F seems to come out well either way.
If you've ended up with more than 4 tbsp of fat / grease try adding more oatmeal or bread crumbs next time. If there's no grease, well geez just how much oatmeal did you add?!
For the top sauce you can use my husband's method - random bbq sauce & done - or my method:
Ingredients:
Ketchup
Mustard (any kind will do, but I'm spoiled with Grandpa's Cheese Barn's Roasted Garlic)
Brown Sugar
Lemon Juice
Worcestershire
This is strictly to taste! Just mix the above together until you've got something nice & tangy (yeah, I know, that's not helpful). For 2 lbs of meat you'll need to start with over a cup of Ketchup to get the volume. So ~1 c Ketchup, ~3 tbsp Mustard, < 1/4 c Brown Sugar, ~ 2 tsp Lemon Juice and go easy with the Worcestershire since there's no good way to 'undo'. Don't cook it with the sauce on - put it on after it's done.
Normally, I'd include pictures but it's gone so it'll have to wait for next time :-D
5 comments:
I'm okay with all except the oatmeal... :-) I like mushroom or onion gravy on mine, not the normal ketchup most people seem to love. Throw in mashed potatoes and green beens with bacon and onion, and that is a meal that sticks to your ribs (and puts on the pounds too)!
Honest to God, you don't know it's in there. It just does a beautiful job of sucking up the grease so you don't leave all the flavor at the bottom of the pan. The only reason I *have* oatmeal is for the meatloaf - the thought of eating it for breakfast is unappealing. I guess you could use more / chunkier bread crumbs. :)
LOL- I guess in THAT case I'd try it :-) I don't DO oatmeal...
Another variation I like is the Mexican meatloaf.
Use chili powder and cumin with the other spices, substitute crumbled nachos or Fritos for bread crums. Top with enchilada sauce.
lol i use grapnuts (the cereal) in my meatloaf
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