ISO Best darn Meatloaf EVER...PERIOD!
Oh please post yours and one you know to be tried and true.
I would be ever so thankful.
Mine the other night simply was a total bust!
Thanks in advance...
iL Divo
Jan 20, 2007 02:23AM
I started making this years ago because of an old Chowhound thread and I love it. It's the only one I make now.
Paul Prudhomme's Cajun meatloaf
http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/am...
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Yes! Yes! It's the best I've ever had -- I adore this recipe.
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I'll have to try this one!
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I can vouch for this recipe. Been making it for years now.
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I made Paul P's meatloaf tonight for the superbowl. It was fantastic and VERY well received. Although a bit more time consuming than my standard recipe, it will become the new standard. I used more cajun seasoning than called for in the recipe (and used a premixed blend I bought in Louisiana), and less ketchup in the mix; used panko instead of fresh bread crumbs. Also glazed the loaf with a mix of ketchup and hot chili garlic sauce on top. It was moist and delicious. Served with roasted sweet potatoes with Chinese five spice and steamed string beans with garlic.
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I made Prudhomme's meatloaf this Saturday. All gone by lunchtime Sunday. The new standard hereabouts.
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What do you like to serve with it?
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Now I'm hungry. Mashed or roasted potatoes, and Marcella Hazan's braised carrots (link below):
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...
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How funny, this is the one I use all the time also and it consistently gets RAVE reviews - some people even ask for it for Christmas (and I'm not kidding!)!!
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To those of you who have made the Paul Prudhomme recipe....when he says "breadcrumbs" are those fresh or dried? I'm assuming dried, but thought I should ask.
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gad I just adore the sound of everything about this. I will try it soon. Am confused about the ground sausage meat though as I used sausage patty's in my disasterous one. What does it mean by no seasoning added sausage ground pork.
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Re: the Cajuan Meatloaf - I use fresh breadcrumbs now since I always have some in the freezer, but I'm pretty sure I used dried the first few times I made this and it's always been delicious.
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reading the ingreds in this one, oh my gosh does it ever sound good. bet it's in my really old PP cookbook. when I get off this trip, I'll check out my cook book collection, pull his out and see if it's in there. otherwise, thanks for much for the link, if needed, I'll use that.
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after all the raving about this recipe; i had to try it out...I see what the fuss is about. It's amazing!! can't wait to see what it tastes like tomorrow after it has a chance to settle.
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FWIW, I'm making this tonight and just realized that the link I posted above isn't as detailed, and just a bit different, as the recipe I use:
http://www.bigdaddyskitchen.com/cookb...
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Looks really good but... I don't like green bell peppers. Love red ones though, do you think this will make a huge difference?
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I don't love green peppers either, so I mince them very small. I'm sure it would be good with red - be sure to report back if you try it!
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I've been making this for years as well. It's from his first book which he signed for me at a M & G. After you assemble the mis en place it's all so easy to put together.
Ground turkey breast/dark meat has been our meat of choice, but lately I've been using ground buffalo meat. Absolutely delicious!
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funny thing is, that on that recipe source where this is listed, they mention putting in the onions/bell peppers/garlic/celery, but then on the ingredient list, celery isn't listed. I decided to pull it up on google and all same place on recipe source, they have the same recipes with one exception, it's called revised, huh, there, I found the celery mentioned. guess someone got confused like me...it's smells great cooking right now, but I will say, I was rushing doing other things and messed up the method of how to's. same and correct ingredients so hope it still turns out good if not wonderful.
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My husband made this last year after I saw this thread. (He's the meatloaf maker in the house. I love to eat it, but I hate making it -- squishing raw ground beef grosses me out. haha) Anyhow, I can't remember now if the recipe makes 2 loaves or if he doubled it. But we ate one and vacuum-sealed one for the freezer. Both were delicious. And the sauce - mmmmm.
I still love my mom's original meatloaf from my childhood (in the Better Homes & Gardens classic red & white cookbook, and it's called something like "Old Fashioned Meatloaf" or something like that). It's my favorite. But if you want something new and a little different from regular meatloaf, I give this an A!
If anyone can find a copycat recipe for Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro's meatloaf and sauce, it's amazing.
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Luv2bake, did you ever see the episode of "3rd Rock from the Sun" where Sally is trying to make her first meatloaf and then someone tells her that it's ground beef. She takes her hamburger-filled fingers out of the bowl and stares at them. "I have dead cow on my hands?" she shrieks, running from the kitchen in horror; but I think she wipes her hands all over French Stewart who is just standing there before running out of the room. I about died laughing over that scene...and you know what? I don't like squishing the meat together either...I usually use a big fork or 2 of them, heresy, I know but it's just so gross. I haven't tried this cajun meatloaf yet...recently tried Gio's Chipotle Bison meatloaf and loved it, so I guess I could use ground buffalo in this, too.
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I use disposable gloves when I make meatloaf or meatballs.
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I am a big fan of 72 Market Street Meatloaf--I only make this one anymore. It is pretty famous, from an LA restaurant in the 80's. It was pretty famous at the time and was written up everywhere, even made it into The New Basics Cookbook.
http://www.thatsmyhome.com/momsdiner/beef/market.htm
Here's the recipe on someone's blog with pictures. Note: I never make this in a loaf pan--I shape it freeform in a 13x9 pan and I place that in a larger roasting pan that has water in it. I increase the spices a bit, especially if I'm counting on leftover cold meatloaf sandwiches. I make my own breadcrumbs for this.
http://sseichinger.blogspot.com/2006/...
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I make this one too, with fresh breadcrumbs and more spices. I never bake it in a loaf pan, but free form also. 30 minutes before it is done I glaze it with a combo of honey & worcestershire and a little bit of ketchup which I warm up and brush on top and sides. Loved that place back then.
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Great minds... I usually increase the spices too and always use my own bread crumbs. If I'm not serving it with the sauce, I will glaze it too with something similar.
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I love the sound of this glaze, with honey, worchester and ketchup.
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I have this bookmarked now. Personally, I love tons of ingredients, I think mostly I like the hunt of the ingreds at the market, I see people looking at me weirdly. Anyway, I am so thankful for you putting the blog thing in here with the pictures, it looks amazing, thanks again.
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I reinvent meatloaf every time I make it, but it's always basically the same. Once in a while I do one that deserves to be immortalized with its own recipe file; this was one of the best. NOT diet food!
GREAT MEAT LOAF
1 1/4 lb ground beef
1 1/4 lb ground pork
2 large eggs, beaten just to blend
1 cup cracker crumbs
1 small onion, minced
(celery and/or green pepper can also be added, if you want it)
2 slices good bacon, chopped fine
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbs horseradish
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt, pepper, Tabasco and/or herbs
All ingredients at room temperature, for best results.
Preheat oven to 350o. Combine everything in a large mixing bowl. Stir with a fork to distribute ingredients, then use your hands to blend and knead until it's a fairly firm and homogeneous mass that will hold its shape. Form into a loaf, then put into a 2-qt loaf pan, pressing down the sides to eliminate any gaps along the bottom edges.
Bake uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs, to an internal temperature of 150o; use a bulb baster to remove accumulated grease as needed during the last half-hour or so.
For a sweet/savory topping, you can mix some ketchup and horseradish together with a little Worcestershire sauce and brush this over the top of the loaf after the first hour.
Another thing I keep forgetting to write into recipes but I always do: before you commit the meat to its pan, pull a piece about the size of a walnut and make a patty out of that and fry it in a dry skillet, then taste for seasoning. That way if it needs salt or whatever you can add it.
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I have to say, I'm a big believer in Paul Prudhomme's cajun meatloaf. But, I'm like you, and make changes and improvements everytime I cook. I'll give your recipe a try. It looks absolutely fantastic. I especially like the addition of horseradish to the ketchup.
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That's how my mom made it: she'd mix about 3/4 cup of ketchup with a heaping soupspoon of horseradish and a big dollop of Worcestershire, and put most of it into the meatloaf, then use the rest to spread over the top about twenty minutes before it was done.
Here's a thing I think is interesting: my brother and I both follow roughly mom's recipe, but while I use cracker crumbs he uses oatmeal. My meatloaf comes out pretty firm, and when it's cold you can slice it like lunch meat, which is exactly how I like it. His comes out all moist and floppy, practically like a spreadable paté...which is exactly how HE likes it.
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when I was a little girl, we had shrimp often enough to warrant a cocktail sauce. since the stuff you bought in the market was just an added financial burden to an already burdened food budget, I came up with something I've always liked to use with shrimp or as a cocktail sauce. your horseradish reminded me of it. I start with ketchup, then add 1/2 as much horseradish from a jar and 1/2 again of that amount of ball park mustard. stir all together and you've got better than the jarred version of flavorful sauce. it'd be a great addition to a meatloaf maybe too.
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since I was a little girl, I made my own fish cocktail sauce, I mean I'll bet I was 7 when I came up with this, being home from school and seeing fish sticks in the freezer but nothing to dip them in, we had catsup/mustard/horseradish. I played until it was just right and that's my standard cocktail sauce all these years later. 3-2-1
3 parts catsup
2 parts horseradish
1 part yellow mustard, mix and enjoy
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Will, what do you put in your sliced meatloaf sandwiches, to add zip? I made this, it's good, but a bit plain (my fault-added only 1 garlic clove & half the horseradish, bad decisions on my part!).
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I normally do just a plain, standard meat loaf with bread crumbs, egg, milk, onions, garlic, and some bell pepper if I have it. Sometimes I will add worcestershire, and occasionally I'll add a spoonful or two of pureed chipotle in adobo, which I keep on hand in the refrigerator for various applications.
But this is my very favoritest meat loaf recipe, from my mom. Again, not diet food...
Sicilian Meat Roll
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. tomato juice
2 tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground beef
8 thin slices ham
3 slices mozzarella, sliced diagonnally
6 oz. shredded mozzarella
Combine eggs, bread crumbs, tomato juice, and spices. Add ground beef, mixing well. On waxed paper, pat meat out to a 12x10” rectangle. Arrange ham slices atop meat, leaving a small margin around edges. Sprinkle shredded cheese over ham.
Starting at short end, roll up meat. Seal edges and ends. Place seam side down in 13x9x2” pan. Bake at 350° for 1 1/4 hours. Place cheese slices over top of roll; return to oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
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This recipe sounds great!
Normally I hate meatloaf but this recipe is similar to one I made many years ago. I got the recipe from a Progresso bread crumbs ad in a magazine. I threw it away years ago and I'm very sorry I did that.
Some of the differences were that you made a trough in the meat mixture and filled it with a ricotta-parmesan-egg mixture. Also, it's baked in a traditional loaf pan - not rolled.
Instead of tomato juice, you use tomato sauce. There's no ham, but I put mozzarella on top.
You use Italian breadcrumbs instead of plain. Of course it's easy enough to doctor your own plain breadcrumbs.
That said, I haven't had meatloaf since (unless it was served to me). I miss this Italian stuffed meatloaf so very much. *cries*
I think I found it *cries with joy*
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1826,...
CHEESE - STUFFED MEATLOAF
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
3/4 c. Progresso Italian style or plain bread crumbs
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 eggs
3/4 c. ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
Combine first 5 ingredients with 1 egg. Combine remaining egg with next 3 ingredients. Press 1/3 meat mixture into 9 inch loaf pan. Make shallow well lengthwise in center. Spoon cheese mixture in well. Cover with remaining meat.
Pat firmly at sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. If desired, top with strips of bacon and grated cheese. Bake 10 more minutes, just so cheese melts.
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Here's the one we like--it's stuffed!
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Mix all, form loaf, make shallowish trough down center, and fill with:
1 cup sliced mushrooms and 1 cup chopped onion,
sauteed in 2 tablespoons butter,
mixed with 1/2 cup sour cream
Cover this filling with meat, seal well, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
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oh my gosh, this sounds rediculously sinfuly delightful in it's stuffing. My husband is going to flip being a mushroom lover and me a sour cream lover. this'll be a winner.
looking at all of these, I think I may be making several different kinds of meatloaves over the next several months. like you all say, meatloaf sandwiches are one of my favorite, unfortunately, WW doesn't agree that I should eat it a lot :(
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I like Martha Stewarts Meatloaf 101. The best thing I learned from the recipe is however I make it, don't overmix and put together the night before.
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This is my favorite of the moment....but I cut the pepper in 1/2.
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That's my favorite too, with more garlic and with the breadcrumbs soaked in a little heavy cream (a trick I learned on thse boards). Now here is my meatloaf heresy: I use electric beaters to mix this -- I know, I know, Martha and everyone else says not to overmix or overhandle -- but I mix it very thoroughly with electric beaters and the texture is fabulous. I have had friends do "scientific" comparisons and we all like the electric beaters version better.
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I am curious about this because the recipe I love (linked above, 72 Market Street Meatloaf) which was developed by a French chef for an American bistro calls for heavy cream and kneading of the loaf. Most recipes call for light handling so the loaf is not dense and heavy, but my kneaded one is great. I wonder if the other ingredients in the dish, or maybe the cream, prevent it from becoming overly dense as a regular meatloaf would.
What scientific method did your friends use to compare the meatloafs? Did you make side by side meatloafs and taste, or did someone actually find a way to quantify preferences?
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I was going through Julee Russo's book, and she has the 72 Market Street recipe in there.
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tonight, I'm using my KitchenAide to mix the mixture, just based on what you've said here, thanks.
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once again, I'm on a mission to find the perfect do's and don't's of making the meatloaf of perfection. this makes sense to me, make it the night before, the flavors marry and it gives the bread/etc. a chance to do what it's supposed to do. Thanks for the remark...
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Is my mom a freak for making meatloaf with oatmeal?
I don't know the proportions and it certainly isn't gourmet, but it is delicious. Beef, oatmeal, an egg or two, and some bbq sauce (I've been liking Sweet Baby Ray's lately.) If I'm feeling more creative and less tired, a layer of baby carrots and pepper jack in the middle, mmmm. Oh yes, and the obligatory brushing of the bbq sauce over the top for the last 10-15 min of baking.
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Oatmeal's fine. You have to have some kind of grain or bread in there, but just what you use is up to you. I mostly use bread crumbs but have on occasion used oatmeal or leftover rice.
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my mom was an oatmeal lady, too :) sounds like a similar recipe, except she put onions and herbs, and definitely no bbq sauce.
i can't say it was the most stunning meatloaf even (it's really not my thing), but it was always moist and kind of "fluffy". so if that's a good thing, the oatmeal must be a good tip!
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My mom uses oatmeal too and so do I - our meatloaf is fantastic!
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Something I tried from Alton Brown recipe which I really like...form the meatloaf in the loaf pan, then turn it out onto a baking sheet. You get the loaf shape but the baking of a free form meatloaf. And his recipe is good too.
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I like Alton's too. The glaze is great and covers the whole meatloaf.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recip...
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we love Alton's meatloaf too... we like the sauce that goes on top of the meatloaf so much that my husband made an extra batch to keep in the fridge for other dishes. we use half ground turkey and half buffalo meat and it comes out awesome!
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I've made meatloaf with super-lean buffalo meat then put it in a pan lined with bacon, basically bacon-wrapping the whole loaf. The nice thing is that the fat from the bacon absorbs into the lean buffalo, barding it and basically taking the fat content to that of your usual beef-pork meatloaf. Tastes wonderful and makes great sandwiches.
Another thing I've learned is to make double-sauced meatloaf. Basically take a slice of cooked cold meatloaf, put it on a plate and coat the top with spicy barbecue sauce, then put a slice of provolone cheese over it and bake until hot and bubbly. Works very well with the buffalo-bacon loaf.
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