Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf

I was NEVER fan of Meatloaf. Not ever. I can remember my mother serving it twice in my childhood and I opted for a religious fast on both occasions. Sometime in my 20’s I was at a fancy smancy restaurant and they had meatloaf (of all things) on the menu. It was raining - and I thought comfort food sounded good. So I ordered it. I never knew that meatloaf could be so good. I was so moved I asked to speak to the chef. Who of course wouldn’t give me the magic ingredients but what he did say was “quality of meat and to treat it like steak, not hamburger”. Since then I’ve discovered a half dozen recipe’s for meatloaf and I’ve since made it a 100 times over, not a single complaint. What I love about meatloaf is that no matter how fancy-shmancy you get - it’s still a cost effective versatile meal.

Meat: 3 options that I exercise. Ground Turkey, Ground Angus Beef and a tri-meatloaf mix of veal/pork/beef.

Optional Ingredients: Italian breadcrumbs versus regular, diced mushrooms and onions almost always (mushrooms will naturally prevent your meatloaf from turning out dry because they hold so much water). Never EVER use ketchup. Remember, treat it like steak, not hamburger. Use steak sauce (A1) and Worcester Sauce. I guarantee that alone will make a huge difference. You can of course get creative with which kind you use. If you must lean towards the tomato use tomato paste, and if you do that use oregano and basil as spices, you can also add parmesan cheese and it will have a nice Italian twist. I tend do stick with the basic spices, garlic and black pepper. One egg.

Now here is the thing. I don’t measure. Put the meat in a mixing bowl and sprinkle your dry spices and garlic in - mix up - then add any veggies like onion and mushrooms - then add the steak sauce and Worcester sauce. Continue to mix and fold with a fork. Don’t ask me how much sauce I just pour some in and mix. Then sprinkle a light layer of breadcrumbs in - maybe another light layer - mix with a fork. Add the egg. Mix again until it all looks consistent. I prefer a more moist mix and less bread crumbs. That’s just me. Transfer to a loaf pan and pour some A1 (or whatever steak sauce you are using) over the top and smear with a fork. Oven should be at 375 and you will bake it for 40-45 minutes.

I serve mine with mashed potatoes and green beans or carrots. Makes great sandwiches for several days later.