Paradise by the oven light: Meatloaf's varieties make it a perfect winter food

By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

Meatloaf gets a bad rap.

We just got through the Christmas season, where a certain cable TV channel shows a certain movie over and over again with a certain little kid who happens to hate meatloaf. And the only way he eats it is by becoming “Mommy’s little piggy.”

But meatloaf is a classic winter dish for many reasons: It’s hearty, easy to fix and has the potential for so much variety.

“It’s something you can fine tune to your own preferences,” said Cheryle Finley, Globe food columnist, who professes an undying love for the dish. “There’s not one specific recipe for everyone.”

Courtney Sims, of Neosho, grew up on a farm in Stark City. Meatloaf was a favorite food of her large family, and they always seemed to have a few extra friends over for dinner. Now 24 and married, she makes the dish with green beans and mashed potatoes for herself and her husband.

“Anything we could throw in the oven and not worry about was good for us,” Sims said. “And it also gave us reason to experiment. If we didn’t want to run all the way into town, we just used whatever we had.”



Ingredients

Meatloaf is usually made from ground beef that is formed into a loaf and roasted in an oven or cooked in a slow cooker. In addition to other ingredients for flavor, most recipes call for a binder, something to hold the crumbles of beef together.

Meatloaf has varied toppings or glazes that change from cook to cook. Though ketchup is one of the most common toppings, others include brown gravy, onion gravy, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and even a layer of mashed potatoes.

Sims said she prepares a sauce based with tomato paste, brown sugar and a few herbs. She has experimented with different things found in her cupboard.

“One time I used a spicy barbecue sauce,” Sims said. “That came out really good.”

Finley said one of her wildest experiments involved dumping a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes in the mix.

“It would have turned out OK if I would have drained the can first,” Finley said. “It was spicy and runny.”

But the bigger — and even controversial, at times — question involves the binder, which doesn’t really have a strong flavor. Most options include eggs, breadcrumbs, crackers, rice, wheat germ, almonds and even oatmeal.

John Mitzewich, a columnist for About.com, writes that there is no agreement about the best binder.

“Some swear by the time-tested bread crumbs. Others use rice or barley,” Mitzewich writes. “Some radicals don’t use any cereal filler, but this is considered American culinary heresy, and their recipes are not considered ‘real’ meatloaf.”

Sims investigated all the different binders when she discovered that a cousin was allergic to eggs. Rice ended up being the best option, she said.

“We didn’t like it as much, because the texture was kind of funny,” Sims said. “Normally I used toasted bread, but I tried rice and crackers, too.”



Common traits

All the varieties have some things in common. Most recipes call for mixing the meat with your ingredients and binder and then forming a loaf on a flat baking sheet or using a loaf pan.

Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, a columnist with About.com, also recommended these basic tips:

• Ground chuck is the grade of choice for the most flavor. The higher the grade of ground meat, the less fat and shrinkage will result. However, keep in mind that less fat means less flavor and moistness.

• Do not over-knead the mixture or texture will be lost. Mix just enough to combine the ingredients.

• Use about 1/2 cup filler per 1 pound of meat. This filler can be bread crumbs, mashed moist bread, oat bran, grated potato, grated carrot, mashed potatoes or wherever your experiments take you. Do not overdo the bread crumbs, though. An excess can make the loaf spongy.

• Let meatloaf stand about 20 minutes or longer after removal from the oven before serving. This helps it set and makes it easier to slice.



Recipe ideas

About the previously-mentioned variety: Here’s three recipes that go far beyond your standard meatloaf:



Sun-dried tomato meatloaf

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil

1 medium-large onion

1-1/2 pounds ground sirloin

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes into a large nonstick skillet. Finely dice the tomatoes and set them aside. Finely dice the onion to get 1 packed cup. Set the skillet over medium heat and add the diced onion. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the sirloin, diced sun-dried tomatoes, cooked onion with all the pan juices, 1 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper. In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup cold water and 3 slightly crushed ice cubes and add to the sirloin. Mix thoroughly. Shape into an 8-by- 4 1/2 -inch loaf and place on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Source: About.com



Cheddar spinach meatloaf

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

1/2 to 1 pound ground veal

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup soft bread crumbs

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspooon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1/4 cup beef broth or milk

10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

stewed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or ketchup, optional

Mix beef, veal, onion, bread crumbs, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Add beef broth or milk and mix until blended. On a piece of foil about 18 inches long, pat out the meat mixture into a rectangle about 1-by-14 inches. Sprinkle spinach over the meat layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the cheese over all. Using the end of the foil to help, roll the meatloaf up like a pastry — do not roll the foil into the meatloaf. Leaving the length of foil around the loaf, place it on a plate and refrigerate to chill. Remove from the foil and place in a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until done. If desired, top with stewed or diced tomatoes or spread a little ketchup over the top.

Source: About.com



Applesauce meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup applesauce

1 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons ketchup

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Pat the meatloaf mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Let cool 10 minutes; remove to a platter and slice.

Source: About.com



Aussie-style barbecue meatloaf

Meatloaf:

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound sausage, casings removed

1 cup fine breadcrumbs

2 medium onions, chopped fine

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

1 egg, beaten

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

1 onion, chopped very fine

1 ounce margarine

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup dry red wine or beef stock

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon instant coffee

2 teaspoons lemon juice

To prepare meatloaf: Combine ground beef, sausage, breadcrumbs, onions, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, curry, and egg in large bowl. Mix well. Mix milk and water and add to meat mixture a little at a time until smooth but firm. Shape into loaf and put into greased baking pan. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

To prepare sauce: Saute onions in margarine until golden. Add ketchup, wine, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, water, vinegar, coffee, and lemon juice. Bring slowly to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. (The sauce is great with ribs or chicken).

After meatloaf has cooked for 30 minutes, pour half of the sauce over the meat, return to oven and bake 45 minutes more, basting often with remaining sauce. Serve loaf hot in thick slices with remaining sauce.

Source: About.com

Text Only