Meatloaf is one of those dishes most of us grew up with. It’s an easy recipe to make for dinner. It’s great as a leftover for lunch, especially in a sandwich. It takes a little extra prep time to mix minced carrots, onions, celery, and garlic, but it is so worth it! It may look like it is a time consuming extra step for meatloaf, but you can easily put the vegetables in a food processor or mini chopper to speed up the prep time. The smaller mince size that you can get with the food processor will also help the meatloaf hold together better.
So we decided to put together some tips to help make this delicious dish. Putting together this classic begs to be served alongside mashed potatoes and a pile of peas.
Well, if it is meatloaf, obviously the meat matters…. a lot. The marbled meat and bits of fat that goes into ground beef makes for a juicy, crave-worthy loaf, but you’ll get a more interesting end product if you mix different types of meats: try a mix of chicken, beef, pork, Italian sausage and even turkey. Chicken and turkey make a lean version of the meatloaf, thus healthier. But don’t forget to add more liquid to the meatloaf to replace the juices that would be produced by the fat. At Pavão Meats, we offer custom coarse grind. Don’t forget to add eggs, ketchup, tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire, barbecue sauce or some other combination. They add flavour and texture, and help make the meat super juicy.
Another important aspect to remember is to not over mix or compress the meat. Once the ingredients are mixed in, stop mixing. The meatloaf is going to be mixed again when you shape it before baking. Most chefs are of the opinion that the ideal oven temperature for a moist meatloaf is 325 F. If the oven is too hot it will reduce the cooking time, but it tends to dry out the meat.
One last thing: moisten your hands lightly with a thin coat of oil when mixing so the meat doesn’t stick to your fingers. Check seasonings by frying up a small patty of the mixture and tasting it. Let your meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven; it will hold together better when slicing.
Bon appétit!