So, yeh – this particular meatloaf didn’t really hold together all that well – my meat-to-stuff ratio was off – but it still made for a fine tasting dinner along with Hasselback Potatoes; especially when both were brushed with this cool, new glaze and dipping sauce I found.
I usually make Mary Beth Allbright’s totally delicious meatloaf more or less as she calls for it with 2 lbs. total of ground beef and pork, but this time I was making a smaller batch, so just used 1 lb. of beef.
INGREDIENTS
Meat Loaf:
•2 cloves garlic, smashed
•4 celery stalks, diced
•2 scallions, chopped
•1/2 onion, diced
•1/2 green pepper, diced
•2 carrots, diced
•1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
•1/2 tsp paprika
•1/2 tsp dry mustard
•1/2 tsp seasoned salt
•1 tsp 21 Seasoning Salute
•1/3 cup honey rye bread crumbs
•1 cup buttermilk
•1 lb ground chuck
•Canola Oil
Glaze:
•3/4 cup barbecue sauce
•1/4 cup spicy ketchup
•Scant 1/4 cup yellow mustard
First, you make the glaze by stirring together the barbecue sauce, ketchup and mustard. Yeh, I know it sounds kinda gross, but trust me, this is the real deal – so fresh and bright tasting you’ll want to slap it! Stash it in a jar and get on with the meatloaf.
Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then add the veggies and sauté for 15 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the pepper, carrot, and celery are tender.
Set aside to cool.
Stir the bread crumbs into the cup of buttermilk and let soak for 15 minutes.
Heat oven to 375º.
When the veggies are cooled, add the soaked breadcrumbs, the meat, and 1 tablespoon of the glaze and mix with your hands – messy, but it really is the best way.
Form the mixture into a loaf on a foil-lined, rimmed baking pan and brush with a bit of the glaze.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, brushing with more glaze every 20 minutes.
I happened to have some leftover Hasselback Potatoes in the freezer, so thawed and added them to the pan for the last 20 minutes or so, brushing them with a bit o’ the glaze as well.
Yum.
A crumbly meatloaf, to be sure, but a fine, simple dinner.
And, that leftover glaze?
Makes for a fine dipping sauce with kinda good-for-you beer-battered onion rings; but that’s a post for next week…
Monday, mebbe?