Classic Meatloaf

This recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine is hands-down the best meatloaf I’ve ever had. It calls for a mixture of beef, veal and pork, but I just buy the meatloaf mix from Tri-Star, which is 1/2 pork and 1/2 beef. Serves 4-6.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Tbs vegetable or olive oil; more for the baking sheet

  • ½ cup finely chopped onion

  • 1-½ tsp minced garlic

  • ¾ lb. ground beef, 85-percent lean + ¾ lb. ground veal + ¾ lb. ground pork (I buy 2-¼ lbs meatloaf mix from Tri-Star.)

  • ½ cup tomato ketchup

  • 1 Tbs Dijon-style mustard

  • 1-½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

  • ¾ cup fresh plain breadcrumbs (heal of 1 slice whole wheat or white sandwich bread)

  • 1 egg

  • 1-½ tsp salt

  • ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper

  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • About 8 slices raw bacon

PROCEDURE

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. In a small skillet, heat the oil; add the onions and cook over medium heat until soft, about 4 min. Add the garlic and sauté another 1 to 2 min. to soften. Set aside to cool.

  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients except the bacon, and add the cooled onion-garlic mixture. Mix with a rubber spatula or your hands  just until the ingredients are combined. Don't overwork the meat.

  3. Oil a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan, turn the meat mixture out onto the pan, and shape it into a large loaf (like a slightly oval loaf of bread). Or divide the mixture into four equal portions (about 6 oz. each) and shape each portion into an individual meatloaf. Wrap strips of bacon around the shaped loaf, tucking the ends under the loaf.

  4. Bake the meatloaf until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, 50 to 60 min for a large loaf, or 25 to 35 min for smaller loaves. Before slicing, let the meatloaf rest for 10 to 15 min to allow some carryover cooking and to let the juices redistribute. To serve, slice and spoon some of the pan juices over the slices, if you like.

RecipesSusan Johnson1 Comment