The Wife's Most Excellent Meat Loaf

The Wife's Most Excellent Meat Loaf

The Wife likes Bobby Flay; I don’t because he reminds me of an Irish bully who used to kick my ass, and whose ass I’d occasionally kick, at Portage Park elementary school years ago. Still, during one of his punk throwdowns, he made a meatloaf, freeform, without a pan, that we both thought looked just fine. So The Wife made one:



The advantage of this technique is that you get crispy all-around, kind of like what you get with that brownie pan of Louisa Chu’s. Everyone loves crisp.

The Wife used a pound each of Wettstein’s pork, beef and lamb (she demands this; has to have lamb, and it seems to work). She also used seasoned breadcrumbs and some bottled “Italian seasoning,” with basil, oregano and such, and I would never use this kind of prescribed mix, because I want more control over the taste, but she used it and it worked beautifully.



This was one damn flavorful meatloaf; the layers of bacon, baked on and beaming luminescent in the setting springtime sun, made me want to just keep eating it and eating it. So I did. I added a little balsamic vinegar for savory tang, and that just made me want to eat more. Which I did.

David,

Your wife has a good intuitive sense of how to get the results she wants. You seemed a little dubious by her ingredient choices, but like the good alchemist she makes it work and you devour it.

My compliments to The Wife.

Regards,

David Hammond wrote:The advantage of this technique is that you get crispy all-around,

Hammond,

Meatloaf looks truly delectable, crispy all-around is my kind of around.

Seeing as I'm in a strong outdoor cooking/smoking cycle I think I will do a free form meat loaf on the smoker next week.

I will post a picture or two.

Enjoy,
Gary

My mom always made her meatloaf free form, and therefore so have I. I have usually coated the outside with ketchup which caramelizes pretty well, but I will definitely be using bacon next time.

-Will

WillG wrote:My mom always made her meatloaf free form, and therefore so have I. I have usually coated the outside with ketchup which caramelizes pretty well, but I will definitely be using bacon next time.

-Will

The Wife actually used both; fortunately, we had some of MAG's marvelous red pepper catsup on hand.

The only meatloaf I have made for years is the free form recipe for Cajun Meatloaf from Paul Prudhome's Louisiana kitchen, his first cookbook. While I am not a big fan of Bobby Flay this meatloaf looks awesome and I plan on making it next week.

DH,

The loaf looks lovely, however, I was half expecting the secret ingriedient to be some leftover frozen cicadas when I opened this post.

Flip

Marshall K wrote:While I am not a big fan of Bobby Flay this meatloaf looks awesome and I plan on making it next week.

While I give BF credit for introducing us to the pan-less sculpted meatloaf, he used straight beef (no pork, lamb): http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes ... 01,00.html

Personally, I like to mix up the meat. Pork and lamb work just fine, and in the old days they used veal (probably because it used to be so cheap), but I'd stay away from ground turkey (gave the meat an unpleasantly pasty consistency)

David Hammond wrote:

Marshall K wrote:While I am not a big fan of Bobby Flay this meatloaf looks awesome and I plan on making it next week.

While I give BF credit for introducing us to the pan-less sculpted meatloaf, he used straight beef (no pork, lamb): http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes ... 01,00.html

I'm not a huge fan of BF and also not ready to give him any credit for the "pan-less sculpted meatloaf." My mother and paternal grandmother both always made meatloaf like this - pan-less. They actually had two very different types of meatloaf: Mom (city) would sometimes use the "meatloaf blend" from the butcher - beef, pork (for moisture) and veal. She would also use Italian seasonings, breadcrumbs, and there would usually be some tomato sauce or ketchup involved. Grandma (country) used all beef, saltines, baked it too long (liked crispy), and made a milk gravy from the drippings. Both were great and both were pan-less.

I am happy to give YOU some credit and really high marks on that picture though - looks great!

tyrus wrote:

David Hammond wrote:

Marshall K wrote:While I am not a big fan of Bobby Flay this meatloaf looks awesome and I plan on making it next week.

While I give BF credit for introducing us to the pan-less sculpted meatloaf, he used straight beef (no pork, lamb): http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes ... 01,00.html

I'm not a huge fan of BF and also not ready to give him any credit for the "pan-less sculpted meatloaf." My mother and paternal grandmother both always made meatloaf like this - pan-less. They actually had two very different types of meatloaf: Mom (city) would sometimes use the "meatloaf blend" from the butcher - beef, pork (for moisture) and veal. She would also use Italian seasonings, breadcrumbs, and there would usually be some tomato sauce or ketchup involved. Grandma (country) used all beef, saltines, baked it too long (liked crispy), and made a milk gravy from the drippings. Both were great and both were pan-less.

I am happy to give YOU some credit and really high marks on that picture though - looks great!

Thanks, tyrus, and I wouldn't credit BF (good acronym, don't you think? ) with inventing this approach; it's just the first time it came to my attention.

One thought I had for embellishing the simple loaf was to lay in a layer of something (maybe garlic or olives) to give it more layer-cake dimension. The Wife rejected this thought out of hand (just like my idea for cutting the bacon on top into smaller segments for increased crispiness and ease of portioning). I defer to her judgment, of course.

"I defer to her judgment, of course."

Or else?

Personally, I like to mix up the meat. Pork and lamb work just fine, and in the old days they used veal (probably because it used to be so cheap), but I'd stay away from ground turkey (gave the meat an unpleasantly pasty consistency)

I generally buy my every day meat at Super Low in Elmwood Park;
1. everything is prepped by onsite Butcher and one can get anything cut to order.
2. All beef is USDA Choice
3. Everything is at much less cost than select grade at major stores.
4. It is close to home

In addition to offering fresh ground beef, pork and veal, they also package their own meatloaf pack which includes Beef, Pork and Veal,(not premixed).

David Hammond wrote:Thanks, tyrus, and I wouldn't credit BF (good acronym, don't you think? ) with inventing this approach; it's just the first time it came to my attention.

One thought I had for embellishing the simple loaf was to lay in a layer of something (maybe garlic or olives) to give it more layer-cake dimension. The Wife rejected this thought out of hand (just like my idea for cutting the bacon on top into smaller segments for increased crispiness and ease of portioning). I defer to her judgment, of course.

I sort of figured that's what you meant but your post got me excited for meatloaf. I like your idea of layering. I know some Italian meatloafs may call for a boiled egg or two, placed whole within the loaf. I've always thought that roasted garlic cloves would be really good. Olives are a good idea. I think I may experiment next time. I think you can use your favorite burger combinations in creative ways with meatloaf - maybe a beef meatloaf covered in bacon with grilled onion and blue cheese in the middle. Instead of ketchup you could use an A1 or other steak sauce.

When I was in Munich a couple of weeks ago I saw a local cooking show that spread the ground meat out, added a layer of spinach and cheese, rolled it up and cooked it like a meatloaf. It looked like a meatloaf but it had cheese and spinach in the middle and oozing out. Not being able to speak or understand German was driving me nuts during the show though.

Thanks again for the post.

The Wife's meatloaf looks excellent.
Long before BF there was James Beard. In his American Cookery (I think--I'm not at home to check), he has a freeform meatloaf made with beef, pork, and veal and covered with bacon. He also, if my memory serves, calls for a bed of salt pork. I've been tinkering with that recipe for nearly 25 years and have never looked back to meatloaf in a loaf pan. Beard's recipe, as he points out, is great cold, especially if you do as he suggests and wrap it securely and then weight it while it cools. I love meatloaf sandwiches. Although I would never eat hot meatloaf with ketchup (my husband and I prefer Maj. Gray's chutney), I do eat ketchup on a cold meatloaf sandwich--one of the few things left in the world that I will eat ketchup on.

G Wiv wrote:Seeing as I'm in a strong outdoor cooking/smoking cycle I think I will do a free form meat loaf on the smoker next week.

LTH,

Never got a chance to make meat loaf on the smoker, I was out of town for a couple of weeks, but I'll post the recipe I use and have made any number of times over the years. It comes from a crusty old sea dog of a BBQ fellow, Old Man Jim, who is one of the youngest in spirit happy nice people I've had the pleasure of meeting.

Old Man Jim's Meatloaf is designed for the smoker, aggressive flavors that, in an oven, might overpower but after hours chuckling away in a smoker are mellow and well balanced. I always add the ginger option.

Old Man Jim suggests aluminum loaf pans with hole poked in them for both drainage and to allow the smoke access, but I typically go free form on a perforated wok pan or start the free form meat loaf on a small round pizza pan, right on the smoker grate, and after about 45-minutes, when the meat has firmed up a bit, slide it off so it's in direct contact with the smoke.

Enjoy,
Gary

OLE MAN JIM'S MEATLOAF


5 lb ground chuck roast
2-1/2 lb ground pork*
2 large onions, minced
2 bell peppers, minced
16 oz Italian seasoned bread crumb
2 oz Cajun bbq rub
2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoon sage
6 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup Danny's glaze*
1/4 cup sesame oil**
1/3 cup Danny's glaze for topping
1 glaze (Danny's glaze)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup yellow prepared mustard

DANNY'S GLAZE
Place equal parts brown sugar, vinegar and yellow mustard in a small pot and simmer for 20-minutes (Do not boil.)

MEATLOAF
Thoroughly hand mix first eleven (11) ingredients and form into 2
equal loaves. Place each loaf into a foil loaf pan and place both
into a 275°F pit for 2-1/2 hours. Remove from pit, brush tops with
Danny's glaze and return to pit for 15 more minutes.

Drain fat from loafs, slice and serve

Yield: 2 large loafs

* Some use hot breakfast sausage to good effect.
**Some add grated ginger to good effect.

Gary,

Thanks! I am going to smoke meatloaf on Monday.

Regards,

Here's a similar meatloaf recipe that also uses bacon on top. I altered another recipe to do this (full recipe below):


2lbs ground chuck
1lbs ground pork
1 egg
1 1/4 cup croutons (ground) - I use the kind that come pre-seasoned with garlic
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbs. of mrs dash
4 tbs worchishire sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tsp oregano
1 tbs. cayenne
1 tbs. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 cup of your favorite buffalo sauce (this, I'm guessing. I actually eyeballed it. I suggest add in little doses until you retain a consistency of the loaf that you think won't lose it's "sturdiness.")
bacon

Combine all ingredients except for bacon and form the loaf. One layer of bacon going one way. Next layer of bacon going the other way. I cooked this indirect on a kettle using some maple wood mixed in with the lump charcoal. After it got to about 160-165 internally (some may prefer lower), I put it in the broiler to crisp up the bacon a little more.

This has got a nice kick to it. You can replace the buffalo sauce with your favorite bbq sauce and change the cayenne to a tsp. in order to tone it down.

Don't let your meat loaf . . .