This is a great way to dress up an everyday meatloaf and worth the extra time to saute the onions and garlic. It solves the problem of the residue around the edges of the loaf and makes a better looking dish for company. It can be made ahead and served whenever the crew straggles in. 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 meat loaf is placed on a cooling rack lined with tin foil (pierced), set over a lined cookie sheet and baked, so the fat drains onto the cookie sheet below. Thanks go to America’s Test Kitchen for their suggestions on this. For those not familiar, ATK provides an ongoing wealth of sensible information, easily incorporated into everyday cooking.
If you don’t have bread crumbs, crackers will do. Or take a few slices of fresh bread, tear it into small pieces and put 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
1 medium onion, diced
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 Worcestershire Sauce or your favourite steak sauce
a few dashes of liquid smoke (optional)
a splash of soy (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Glaze
Ingredients:
1/3 c ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (Use cider Vinegar if you don’t have balsamic)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 ºF (175 ºC). Line a cooling rack with 2 layers of tin foil and use a knife make slits underneath and around the outside of where the meatloaf will sit. Place cooling rack in a cookie sheet, line with tin foil.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and saute onion and garlic until just soft. Remove from the heat and cool.
3. Mix them with all other main ingredients. Shape into a loaf and transfer into a baking dish.
4. Mix all glaze ingredients and keep aside.
5. Bake meatloaf for 50 min.
6. Pour the glaze mix over it and bake for 10 more min.
7. Let it cool for 5-10 min. Cut and serve.