It's the weekend before Halloween, one of my favorite holidays, and it's one of those mixed weather fall days with gusty winds, sun one minute, rain the next, and leaves piling up on my patio by the dozens. They're forecasting wind gusts of up to 50mph here in the valley this afternoon and gusts of up to 80mph (that's hurricane strength!) up in the mountains and on the coast! I would not be too surprised if we get some power outages later today and tonight.
But, despite the weather I'm still planning on heading out to a favorite yearly Halloween bash tonight. Next weekend I'll be the one throwing the bash for my annual birthday/Halloween party. Still trying to plan what to make for that. . .
But tonight I want to talk about meatloaf! I've always been pretty good at making a good meatloaf that isn't dry, or tasteless and needing to be doused in ketchup. There's lots of good tips out there and some good recipes for variations that I'd like to share too. And of course, what meatloaf dinner would be complete without potatoes, maybe some gravy, and a veg?
That pic was featured in a previous WFD diary of mine: Recreating Childhood Memories
I posted my re-creation of my mom's turkeyloaf with a homemade mushroom sauce:
Ninkasi's Revised Turkeyloaf
2 lbs of ground turkey
1 egg
1 1/2 cups (about 2 good handfuls is what I used) of panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp each (approximately) of cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder & onion powder
a good sprinkle of kosher salt and a few good grinds of black pepper
about 1/4 cup of milk
Mix all of the above ingredients together, adding more breadcrumbs or milk to adjust so the mixture easily holds together. Pack this into a loaf pan and top with 4-5 strips of bacon. I cut them in half then laid them on crisscross style.
Bake at 425° for about an hour until your probe thermometer reads about 165°.
While the loaf is baking start making your mushroom sauce:
2-3 tblsp of butter
1 lb of mushrooms, sliced
2 tblsp of flour (Wondra works great here as it is very fine and tends to incorporate easier)
1 cup of half & half (or if you're feeling decadent heavy cream)
salt & pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium low heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and season with a few grinds of black pepper & a sprinkle of kosher salt. Saute until the mushrooms are browned and have released most of their liquid. Scatter the flour over the mushrooms and stir to incorporate. Let this cook for a minute until it starts to smell "nutty". Slowly pour in the half & half while stirring gently. Turn the heat to medium high and while stirring bring to just barely a boil then lower back to a simmer and continue stirring until the sauce comes together and starts to thicken. Add a tblsp of butter to "finish" the sauce and lower the heat to your stove's lowest setting and cover until the meatloaf is done.
Now a classic meatloaf from Alton Brown:
Good Eats Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and broken
3 whole cloves garlic
1/2 red bell pepper
18 ounces ground chuck
18 ounces ground sirloin
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
For the glaze:
1/2 cup catsup
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Directions
Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.
Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.
Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.
One of the keys to making a meatloaf that doesn't end up a dried out brick of dense meat is to add vegetables to the mixture. It can be grated onion, carrot, or diced bell peppers. The idea is the water released during cooking helps to keep the meat from drying out. Another good "binder" I've used in the past is quick-cooking oats. Just a cup of plain ones in place of the bread or breadcrumbs works really well.
Wanna get fancy with your loaf? Here's a couple of yummy sounding ideas:
Blue Cheese Stuffed Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf "Cupcakes"
from Serious Eats
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2/3 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's or Tabasco
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Chicken:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 rib celery, minced (about 1/2 cup)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 pound ground chicken
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup finely ground fresh breadcrumbs
Non-stick cooking spray
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Procedures
For the Sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, whisk to combine and raise heat to medium. Bring to a simmer, whisk again and remove from heat.
For the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk eggs and chicken stock in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add chicken, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 cup of the prepared wing sauce to the bowl with the cooled onion mixture. Add egg mixture and combine using hands, taking care not to over-mix.
Spray six compartments of a cupcake tin with cooking spray. Pack about 2 tablespoons of the meat lightly and evenly into each one, creating a well in the center. Fill the well with blue cheese and top with a slice of butter. Mound with remaining meat, pressing gently to create a cupcake shape and fuse the top and bottom halves. Brush with wing sauce. Transfer meatloaf to the oven and bake, brushing with more sauce every ten minutes, until an instant instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 150°F to 155°F, about 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Pass additional wing sauce at the table.
Shepherd's Pie Meatloaf w/Parmesan Potato Crust and Stilton Sauce
from Serious Eats
Ingredients
For the Potatoes:
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeledand cut into chunks
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Meatloaf:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 rib celery, minced (about 1/2 cup)
2 meadium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon or prepared mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
21 Saltine crackers, finely crushed
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Non-stick cooking spray
3/4 cup frozen pea and carrots mixture, thawed, or the equivalent fresh and blanched
For the Sauce:
4 ounces Stilton cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Procedures
For the Potatoes: Cover potatoes with water in a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Add 3 tablespoons butter, Parmesan, and milk. Season with salt and pepper and whip potatoes using a hand-held mixer until airy, but do not over-mix.
For the Meatloaf: Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk eggs and chicken stock in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with gelatin and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add the beef, pork, veal, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, tomato paste, paprika, thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, saltines, and Parmesan cheese to bowl with cooled onion mixture. Add egg mixture and combine using hands. Do not over-mix.
Spray loaf pan with cooking spray. Pack half of the meat lightly and evenly into the loaf pan, creating a well lengthwise down the center and leaving about an inch not indented on either end. Fill well with peas and carrots. Top with remaining meat, pressing gently to fuse top and bottom halves. Evenly spread mashed potatoes on the top and make a crosshatch pattern using the tines of a fork. Cut remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into small pieces and dot them on top of the potatoes. Transfer meatloaf to the oven to cook.
For the Cheese Sauce: While meatloaf cooks, combine cheese, cream, and pepper in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted and sauces has thickened, about 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
The meatloaf is done cooking when the potatoes are browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 135°F to 140°F, 55 to 65 minutes.Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately, passing Stilton sauce at table.
So as you can see, meatloaf has come a long way since those boring loaves of the 50's! Different meats and various ethnic ingredients can take it in many different cultural directions. I'm sure there are even fantastic vegetarian and vegan options out there too using tofu, or seitan! I bet a tofu based version with a peanut sauce would be quite tasty!
Thanks for stopping by for another Saturday evening of good food and good friends. What's on your table tonight?