Who hasn’t dug into some meatloaf? So many varieties and subtle variations. Maybe that’s the attraction. We all strive for individuality.
Fortunately, they don’t sell meatloaf at “Gimme-yer-bucks.” There could be fistfights and broken teeth when the guy in front of you orders meatloaf latte with low fat, organic goat’s milk.
You know more about meatloaf than you think you do. You’ve eaten the best and the worst, from Mom’s meatloaf heaven to the brown-fungus slopped on your tray in the school cafeteria. You may even have had meatloaf at a “Grab-your-wallet-and-pray” restaurant.
Folks, you can concoct a wonderful meatloaf without taking a twelve-month course at the Paris Cordon Bleu. Nothing complicated. Just use fresh ingredients and you’re on your way back to the childhood you wish you’d had, before your parents spoiled things.
We’re going to make this meal in three parts, and bring them together at the end: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
Let’s get down to it. Heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC)
First, the Meatloaf.
1 lb Freshly ground beef
1 lb Freshly ground pork
Don’t screw around! Get the butcher to grind a fresh batch!
½ Cup green onions, white and light green parts thinly sliced
½ Cup regular onions, diced
6-8 Ounces white cheddar, coarsely grated
½ Cup plain breadcrumbs (I put a stale baguette in a food processor)
2 Eggs, well beaten
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper and white pepper
1 Cup Homemade pizza sauce to top the meatloaf. To make the sauce, use whole tomatoes, canned or fresh. In either case, hand-squeeze, or chop the whole tomatoes into a sauce pan. If using fresh tomatoes, peel them and cook them long enough for the water to evaporate. Add some finely diced onions and seasonings of your choice.
Put everything except the pizza sauce topping, in a medium-sized mixing bowl and hand mix it to form a loaf.
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| The fuzzy looking stuff is only breadcrumbs! |
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| The inner pan is on the right and the outer pan on the left. |
Pack it into a double-layered meatloaf pan. The top pan has holes, so the juices run out and collect in the bottom of the second pan. You’ll use the juices for gravy.
Put the meatloaf in the hot oven and cook for about 40 minutes, or until the top is very brown.
Meanwhile, read on…
Mashed Potatoes
6-8 Medium sized, light skinned potatoes, washed and cut into chunks. Do not skin the potatoes. (Normal, heavy skinned baking potatoes are too dry and flaky.)
1 Stick of butter
1 Cup of reserved potato water
Strong dash of both onion and garlic powder
Salt and black and white and cayenne pepper
Heat a pot of water, deep enough for the potatoes to be covered. When the water boils, drop in the potatoes and cook until the potato chunks are easily pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes, reserving one cup of the potato water. Put the potato chunks in a large mixing bowl and mash roughly with a pastry cutter. Add a whole stick of butter and use an electric mixer to blend. If the potatoes are too dry, add some of the reserved potato water. Careful! You want moist, not soggy. Add garlic and onion powders, salt and peppers to taste.
Next…
Pull the meatloaf out of the oven, add the pizza sauce to the top, and slip it back in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the pizza sauce sets.
When the meatloaf comes out, make the gravy
Pan drippings
2 Heaping tablespoons of white flour
1 Cup water
1 Cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
After you pull the meatloaf out of the oven, leave it in the top of the pan and put it on a plate to cool. Take the bottom part of the pan and pour the collected drippings into a frying pan (medium heat). As the dripping start to bubble, add two tablespoons of flour and stir with a whisk until creamy. Add a cup of water. Mix. Quickly add a cup of milk. Mix. Taste and add salt.
Hey, folks, that’s it! Slice the meatloaf, add a scoop of mashed potatoes to each plate, and spoon some gravy over the potatoes.
Now, ain’t that comfortable?
