This is a great way to dress up an everyday meatloaf – the end result is worth the extra time it takes to saute the celery and garlic. This dish can be made ahead and served whenever the crew gets there. Or once cooled, cut into slices, and frozen in individual portions for lunches or nights when no one has the time or inclination to cook. The ‘secret’ is that meatloaf is placed on a cooling rack with no foil needed if you use a cooling rack in a grid pattern, set over a lined cookie sheet and baked, so the fat drains onto the cookie sheet below. Thanks to America’s Test Kitchen for their suggestions on this.
If you don’t have breadcrumbs, crackers will do. Or take a few slices of fresh bread, tear it into small pieces and put them in the oven or a toaster oven on low heat. The bread crumbs should be ready in about 10/15 minutes.
Meat Loaf
Ingredients:
1 lb or 0.5 Kg Ground Beef
About 3 celery stalks, diced. The original recipe called for 1 medium onion, diced, so feel free to use that.
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 – 4 tbsp of your favourite barbeque sauce, steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce
a few dashes of liquid smoke (optional)
a splash of soy (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Glaze
Ingredients:
About 3 tbsp of your favourite barbeque sauce or ketchup – enough to cover the top of the meatloaf
up to 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Use cider vinegar if you don’t have balsamic. the glaze should be thick enough to stay in place and not drippy.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Place a cooling rack in a cookie sheet and line the pan with silicon mats, tin foil or parchment paper.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Add celery, sprinkle a little salt and saute until just soft, but do not brown. Make a well in the middle and add a splash of oil. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and cool.
3. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in a separate bowl. Place the meat in a large bowl. Add celery & garlic mixture and parsley, then the wet mixture. Mix, then add dry ingredients. Shape into a loaf and transfer to the rack.
4. Mix all glaze ingredients and keep aside.
5. Bake meatloaf for 50 min.
6. Remove from the oven. Brush or pour the glaze over it and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the interior temperature is 160ºF.
7. Remove from the oven. Let it cool for 5-10 min. Cut and serve.
Adapted from Glazed Meatloaf Recipe May 29, 2008