Meatier Meatloaf

I’m not going to bore you with my rantings and ravings about how wonderful this recipe it. Just trust me and make it. You can thank me later!

Meatier Meatloaf

Courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated

Serves 6-8

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 onion, chopped fine

6 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp plus 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 large eggs

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp unflavored gelatin

½ slice hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

2 tsp Dijon mustard

¾ tsp pepper

½ tsp dried thyme

1 pound ground pork

1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef (ground chuck is recommended)

Glaze

½ cup ketchup

¼ cup cider vinegar

3 tbsp packed brown sugar

1 tsp hot sauce

½ tsp ground coriander

FOR THE MEATLOAF

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Fold heavy-duty aluminum foil to form 9 by 5-inch rectangle. Center foil on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in foil with skewer (about ½ inch apart). Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.

Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until browned, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add 3 tablespoons broth and garlic; cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mushroom mixture to large bowl to cool.

Whisk eggs, remaining ½ cup broth, and soy sauce together in bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over egg mixture and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes.

Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Add gelatin mixture, cooled mushroom mixture, parsley, mustard, pepper, and thyme to bread crumbs and pulse until mushrooms are finely ground, about 10 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer bread-crumb mixture to large bowl. Add pork and beef and mix with hands to thoroughly combine.

Transfer meat mixture to foil rectangle and shape into 9 by 5-inch loaf using wet hands. Bake meatloaf until it registers 155 to 160 degrees, 75 to 90 minutes. Remove from oven and turn on broiler.

FOR THE GLAZE

While meatloaf cooks, bring all ingredients to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meatloaf; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 2 minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; return to broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes longer. Let meatloaf cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

We served this over cauliflower puree with roasted asparagus. Healthy never tasted so good!

Meatier Mealoaf