Lamb meatloaf

In years past, when Peter and I lived in DC we frequently ate at a Chinese restaurant called Taste of China. We always had the same things: lamb with scallions and spinach with garlic. That was on my mind yesterday morning when I decided what to do with a pound of lamb stew meat: make meatloaf with plenty of chunks of scallions in it. I just ground the lamb in my food processor.

Now, I doubt many of you have 1 1/2 cups of cooked barley in your fridge, but maybe you have some cooked rice? Barring that, just use some soft breadcrumbs.

If there is a way to make this recipe simpler I don't know what it is.

Lamb meatloaf

1 pound ground lamb

3 scallions, cut into 1/2” pieces

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 ½ cups cooked barley or rice or soft breadcrumbs

as much garlic as you can stand, finely chopped

cumin, salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together and place in a loaf pan which has been sprayed with generic Pam.

Bake for 40 minutes. Let rest briefly, then eat the whole darn thing in one sitting. LOL.

NOT tartare meatloaf

I just want to explain (I've done it before) that I feel a little guilty not reading posts about desserts (of which there have been many recently). I don't bake and I don't eat dessert. Just know that I'm still out here for all of you.

Sunday was a weird recipe day. I had some top round I thought I would turn into steak tartare. But after grinding the meat I wasn’t thrilled with its taste and texture. So I combined all the ingredients that would have accompanied the raw meat and turned it into a mini-meatloaf.

What you see is a little 3” x 4” loaf pan. I didn’t photo it after baking, I was too hungry. It was very good, if a little unusual.

The recipe called for a couple of anchovies, which I would happily have used – but I didn’t have any. To add that saltiness and umami I tossed in a couple of chopped tablespoons of Asian preserved mustard tuber.

I don’t expect any of you are going to make this, but it is kind of interesting. So, just for the record:

NOT tartare meatloaf
8 oz. ground steak (whatever cut you have)
2 tbsp chopped preserved mustard tuber
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
1 chopped scallion (green and white parts)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Everything gets mixed together and put into a small loaf pan. Then 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven (I used our convection toaster oven) does the trick.

Meatloaf 101

The teacher in me is screaming to get out today. This will seem pretty over the top, but towards the end it all comes together with just 4 steps to make the meatloaf of your dreams.

Who doesn’t like meatloaf? Who needs a recipe for meatloaf? Nobody. There are several basic ingredients (or choices of same) that are the way to start up your loaf. There are choices of meats and vegetation. There are no bad choices (ok, maybe anchovies would not be such a good idea…or?). It suddenly occurs to me to wonder if one could make a faux meatloaf, a meatless vegetarian loaf. That’s for another day.

Start with:
*½ medium onion, chopped
*1-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 jalapeno or Serrano pepper
½ green bell pepper, diced (or any color pepper)
*1 lightly beaten large egg
*1/3 cup breadcrumbs (preferably unflavored), moistened with 1/3 cup cream or milk
*salt and pepper to taste
*Cheese

Of the above the garlic, hot pepper, bell pepper are all optional according to your preferences. The breadcrumbs are essential as is the cream or milk you will moisten them with. If you start with the above, then the only other thing you need is 2 lbs. of meat.

I like to add some grated parmesan or romano into the meat mix and top the loaf with some pepper jack (only because it’s what I had).

I wanted bell pepper and a chile pepper but didn’t have any. Also did not want to go to the store. So…skipped those ingredients. The asterisks denote what I had and, therefore, what I used.

Meat choices:
*Ground beef (grind your own if you can)
Ground lamb
Ground veal
Ground pork
Ground chicken or turkey
*Italian sausage
*Mexican chorizo
Bacon

I guess you could make a meatloaf using only one meat, but it would be pretty one-dimensional – although a turkey loaf is perfectly viable. The proportions are up to you as long as it’s a total of 2 lbs. (I’m basing this on my loaf pan which is 9” x 5” x 3 1/2”.)

Yesterday I threw together a meatloaf after foraging through the fridge and freezer. (An aside: I put the loaf together using salt and pepper only as I sautéed the onions and garlic, but the highly flavored chorizo and sausage precluded the need for any more seasoning.)

I often like to put bacon strips on top before the loaf goes into the oven. This time, however, there was quite a bit of fat in my meats. So I used cheese as a topping.

Seasonings:
If all your meat choices are starting out unseasoned add your favorite flavors, any of the following.
Tarragon for poultry
Oregano, thyme for anything
Paprika, especially with the inclusion of pork
Of course salt and pepper to taste

How do you know if your seasoning profile is a good one? Put a teaspoon of the meatloaf mixture into a small bowl and nuke it for 20 seconds. Then simply taste it and adjust to your liking.

Meatloaf 101

1) You should start by choosing your meats – use anything you have on hand and need to use up. Get them ground and into a large bowl.

2) Decide on the vegetation and get it all prepped, as in chopped.

3) Saute the onions, garlic, peppers (if using) until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

4) Add everything to the meat and mix well (I like to use my hands). Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, grease up a loaf pan, press the whole mess into it, top with your bacon or cheese and bake until it reaches 160 degrees. It takes about an hour if uncovered and with bacon on top – closer to 1 ¼ hrs., covered for the first 40 minutes if you’re using cheese as a topping.


So, in the end, it’s easy as pie (actually I find pie to be hard). And I feel so liberated in that I no longer need to consult “Joy of Cooking” for guidance. Make the meatloaf a day ahead if it helps and just pop it into the oven the next day (allow it to come close to room temp if you have the time). Voila!

Turkey "sausage" meatloaf

Look how white this is! Apparently I never used pure turkey breast like this before. I was stunned pulling it out of the oven.

Time to stretch my culinary imagination. A long time ago I made turkey sausage a la Jacques Pepin (from a visit he made to Emerial Live). Then I recreated it in my own image. This time I’m going the sausage route but as a meatloaf.

In yesterday’s posting I discussed turkey milanesa which I made from slices of boneless, skinless turkey breast. They each were about 6 oz. The rest of the breast weighed 2 lbs!!! Thankfully my trusty Kitchen Aid mixer has a meat grinding attachment I use often.

The turkey had been brined for several hours and then, even though I rinsed it, it sat in the fridge for another 24 hours. A little sample, microwaved, proved to be on the salty side, but Peter agreed that by not adding additional salt the rest of the meatloaf ingredients would stretch it out and disperse the saltiness. Don’t get me wrong, I could have eaten it just as it was – but it was a bit over-salty. If I had planned to just make burgers, I would have soaked the pieces of turkey breast (before grinding) in cold water for an hour.

So here it is, thanks in part to Jacques, and in large measure to yours truly.

Turkey “sausage” meatloaf
2 lbs. ground turkey breast
½ cup minced onion
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper, or to taste
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup heavy cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 slices thick-cut bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Put a teaspoon or so of the mix into a small bowl and microwave it for 20 seconds. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.

Lubricate a loaf pan with cooking spray. Put the turkey mixture into the loaf pan. Top with bacon slices (cut them as needed to cover turkey in one layer).

Bake until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Turkey loaf

This picture is a little misleading. It's actually a mini-meatloaf. The disposable aluminum pan is 5.5" x 3" and 2" deep. The recipe below makes 2 of them. Each is enough to feed Peter and me twice!




Here is a device I can't live without: an electronic temperature probe. The tip goes into the meatloaf and broadcasts the temperature to the light gray unit which I usually take to the other side of the house where Peter and I watch "Jeopardy" or "Millionaire" before dinner (with cocktails I might add).

On Nov. 24, 2009 I posted my "best meatloaf you will never make," and this is a variation of that theme.



One thing I will do differently next time is to uncover the pans sooner and/or slide them under the broiler to get the bacon crisper.

Turkey loaf
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 large onion, finely chopped
1/3 green bell pepper, finely chopped

Heat the oil in a saute pan and cook the onion and pepper just until softened, 4 minutes or so. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees - oven rack at middle level

In a large bowl combine:
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 lightly beaten egg
1/8 cup bread crumbs which have been soaked in milk
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
2 tbsp sage pesto (we just happened to have had this - an alternative is too saute some fresh sage with your onion and pepper)
generous pinches of salt and pepper
the cooled onion and pepper

Mix well. Put a teaspoon of the mixture in a small bowl and microwave 15-20 seconds. Taste for seasonings. Adjust accordingly.

Put the mixture into 2 disposable aluminum loaf pans. Top each with 2 half slices of bacon. Place the pans on a baking sheet with 1" sides. Pour in:

1/2" boiling water

Loosely lay a sheet of foil over the pans. Bake to an internal temperature of 170 degrees, removing the foil after about 10 minutes.

The best meatloaf you will never make!

Ok, ok, I know that’s a stupid title. If you read this you’ll understand that my aim here is to remain the lovable didact I have become later in life.

My mantra is, “Be Creative.” I hardly ever cook something that doesn’t include some leftover item from a meal a day or two before. Also, we check out the “Manager’s Specials” at Safeway every time we shop. That’s where you will find meat, chicken, sausage, etc. that is at or 1 day away from its sale date. Never have I gotten home to find these items unusable – they seem perfectly fresh.

I debated consulting “Joy of Cooking” before starting assembly of the meatloaf. But I was short of time and knew exactly what stuff was in the fridge and freezer. The proportions were guesswork. Shopped for items: green bell pepper and an onion.

The most unusual part of the recipe involves the leftover milanesa. I don’t think I got the oil hot enough last night and it ended up kind of tough and, worse, greasy.

It’s not often that I want to overeat. However, this is the best meatloaf I ever ate in my life. And that’s saying something given how often my mother made it and the times we’ve cooked it, and the times I’ve had it at a diner.

I’m sorry, but you will find it impossible to reproduce this. You can, however, make your own version. More or less ketchup, W-sauce, etc., or garlic, onion, green pepper. All negotiable. Bear in mind that what I put together just fit the loaf pan – no room for more meat.

The best meatloaf you will never make! (6 servings)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped
½ green bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1.25 lb pork “country” ribs (boneless, trimmed of fat)
2 bratwurst, casing removed
5 oz leftover beef milanesa, breading scraped off and saved
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup homemade bread crumbs
1/4 cup half-and-half
2 tablespooons ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp barbeque sauce (commercial bottled)
2 tsp liquid smoke
salt and black pepper
3 slices thick-cut bacon

boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place a rack in the middle position. Boil some water in the teakettle.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan and sweat the onion, pepper and garlic for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Grind the 3 meats via your stand mixer or food processor. Get it fairly fine (judgment call). Put the meat in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl combine the egg, bread crumbs and half-and-half.

Add ketchup, W-sauce, bbq sauce, liquid smoke, and salt and pepper to the meat. Add both the onion mix and the egg mix and the breading from the milanesa. Use your hands and squish it all together. Be thorough.

Put it into a greased loaf pan (size: the width will be exactly that of ½ a slice of bacon). Cut bacon slices in half across and lay on top of the meatloaf. Press it in a bit.

Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet with 1” sides. Place in the oven and pour boiling water around it. 1/3 of an inch is plenty.

Bake for 1 ¼ hours or until a thermometer registers 155°. I use an electronic probe that sends updated temp readings to a receiver in the TV room where I’m usually watching “Jeopardy.”

Remove from the oven and let stand uncovered for 10-15 minutes. If you then cut slabs the thickness of the bacon slices you’ll get 6 portions.

An off-the-cuff dinner

Sure you can get out your “Joy of Cooking” and find a perfectly good meatloaf plan, probably with optional variations. But when you find a piece of top round in your freezer that you just know is not going to give you an edible London broil (I know from experience), and the weather is quite cool, screw your courage to the sticking point and get creative. I did consult “Joy” for just one thing: internal temperature for the meatloaf - 160°.

The fact is you could simply prepare ground beef as if for a burger, put it in a loaf pan, top it with cheese and have “burger loaf.” Same for chicken, turkey or pork. A standard meatloaf mix will generally have 2 or 3 different kinds of meat. Anything you would do to a hamburger you can do to meatloaf. Be brave. You have to go quite a distance to screw it up.

If you are using ground beef and ground veal 160° is too high a temp. However, lots of people use chicken, turkey or pork along with beef. The poultry must get up to 160°; the pork to 145°. That low for pork? Scientists tell us the infrequent potential from undercooking piggy meat is obviated at a temperature of 137°. Personally I go for 140° for, say, pork tenderloin or a roast of pork.

“Joy” told me to get the meat up to 160° with ground pork in it. I didn’t think I wanted to go that high, but caved in to my uncertainty about the processed pork sausage I used. In the end the meatloaf was well done and a little dense but had excellent flavor. And, dressed with some homemade tomato sauce (you could use a jarred spaghetti sauce for this), it was very, very good. Next time I’ll go for 150°, as I indicate below.

I couldn’t help but notice some other components of the cookbook meatloaf recipe: meat quantities, egg quantity, bread crumbs, etc. But I was dealing with specific amounts of ingredients I had on hand and adjusted everything accordingly.

I went out to buy one thing I didn’t have, pork sausage. The Safeway had some available in bulk and I was able to buy the ½ pound I wanted. The clerk assured me it was spicy sausage. That turned out not to be true. If I do this again with that same product, I’ll definitely add some red pepper flakes.

Recently I posted a recipe for baked artichoke hearts. I got it from Rachel Ray. Each time I’ve made it I like it less. The food network website gave me a few ideas and I invented an artichoke braise that I think is superb. It was a side dish to the meatloaf along with some polenta.

So, starting from square one…

(Don’t let your) Meatloaf
1.4 lbs. top round, ground
½ lb hot Italian sausages, casing removed
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
½ medium onion, finely diced
1/8 cup parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp pimiento, chopped
4 bay leaves
4 tbsp tomato sauce, plus more for garnish

In a large bowl, mix the meat and sausage together with your hands, just until combined. Add remaining ingredients except bay leaves. Toss lightly until combined.

Put the sausage through the grinder if it is particularly sticky. It will blend better with the beef than way.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

Spray a loaf pan with Pam. Place bay leaves on the bottom of the pan. Add the meatloaf mixture, pressing it carefully into the pan to eliminate air pockets. Top it with tomato sauce. Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet and put it into the oven.

Bake until the internal temperature is 150°. Remove from the oven, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes. The sides of the loaf should start to pull away slightly from the sides of the loaf pan.

You could try to remove the meatloaf from the pan, but I chickened out and managed to extract the first (most difficult) slice intact. Slice with a serrated knife into 1-inch slices or larger if you want. Served with your favorite steak or barbeque sauce if you wish.

Braised artichoke hearts

I am far too lazy to disassemble artichoke hearts. You can get them frozen at the market and, while not quite as good as fresh, they are perfectly viable.

1 package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and at room temperature
6 thin slices of lemon
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
salt
pepper (white if you have it)
½ cup chicken stock

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the lemon slices and the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. A word about the lemon: slice them across including the peel and be sure not to include any seeds. The rind will not be bitter after its cooked.

Add the artichoke hearts and salt and pepper and sauté just until the hearts start to take on a little color. Add the broth, cover, and simmer for a few minutes while you finish up other dinner preparations. You can always reduce the heat to very low at let them sit a bit longer. Or, you can take them off the heat and serve them warm, though I think not a room temperature.

What could be simpler than that?

For a free excerpt of my book, “A Year of Food,” in which I opine, report, cook, muse and philosophize about everything that passed my lips for an entire year, write to me at: scrout1944@msn.com.