Mee-Maw’s American Meatloaf (comfort food classic)

BEHOLD! THE RETURN OF Mee-Maw, MY IMAGINARY, DOWN-HOME, FARMING GRANDMOTHER and this time she’s back with her devilishly delicious ‘MERICAN MEATLOAF. Honestly, I can’t think of two words that belong together more than “meat” and “loaf”… okay maybe “corn” and “dog” give our loaf a run for its money but hey… I’m not here to compare, I’m here to EDUCATE and today is the time to get schooled on a Midwestern American comfort food staple. Enter: Meatloaf!

Shoutout to all of the grandmas (plus @kenjilopezalt) out there who know the secret about adding powdered gelatin to the meat mix. It makes a HUGE difference in the final product and it’s unctuousness.

Fun Fact: In Nebraska, they prescribe meatloaf as anxiety medication.🤘🏼 Adam

Yield: 4-6 people

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Mee-Maw's Classic Meatloaf

Cook time: 2 HourTotal time: 2 Hour

Ingredients

Meatloaf

• 1/2 cup Beef Stock
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Gelatin Powder (2 packets worth)
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 cup Yellow Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 cup Mushrooms, finely chopped
• 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 pound Pork Shoulder, ground
• 1 pound Beef Chuck, ground
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste
• Fresh Chives for garnish, finely chopped
• Fresh Parsley for garnish, finely chopped

Glaze

• 3/4 cup Ketchup
• 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/3 cup Sherry Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• Kosher Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (176c).
2. In a measuring cup or other small container, sprinkle the gelatin over the beef stock and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat then and add the onions, celery, carrots and mushrooms. Cook stirring for 8-10 minutes until sweated down, then add the garlic, fish sauce and soy sauce then cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in the heavy cream and gelatinized beef stock and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and you’re left with a semi-dry, paste-like, dark vegetable flavor base, 5-10 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool until you’re able to comfortably work with it by hand.
4. In a large mixing bowl add the ground pork, ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, thyme, the cooled vegetable base a big pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Mix by hand until everything is smooth and homogenous.
5. Transfer the mixture to a 9x5 loaf pan. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, place the meatloaf on top and bake on the middle rack for 1 hour.
6. Make the glaze by adding the ketchup, dark brown sugar and sherry vinegar to a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil on medium-high heat. When the glaze starts to bubble, cut the heat and finish with salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside for now.
7. After an hour, remove the meatloaf from the oven and increase the heat to 425F (218c). Invert the meat loaf out of the pan and onto the foiled baking sheet so it sits upside down. Brush on a layer of the glaze and bake for 10 minutes. Once the loaf reads 130-140F (54-60c), remove it from the oven and brush with a second layer of glaze. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
8. Garnish with finely chopped chives or more parsley if you’re feeling fancy. Serve with mashed potatoes, peas and carrots for brownie points. Additional ketchup and mushroom gravy optional.