If you know me, you know I love meatloaf. I believe my love of meatloaf is enriched by the fact that my husband hates it -- and by that I mean, it has become a forbidden love -- something I can only indulge in at restaurants, or when he travels. There have been times when I've subjected him to experiments (meatloaves that include italian sausage or blue cheese) -- and this week, his trip was cancelled but we forged ahead with our meatloaf plans. This, I believe, is my most successful meatloaf to date, and may become our go-to recipe.
Meatier Meatloaf (Cook's Illustrated September and October 2012)
Meatloaf
2 T. unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped fine
6 oz. white mushrooms sliced and trimmed
1 T. tomato paste
3 T. plus 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. unflavored gelatin
1/2 slice hearty white bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1/3 c. minced fresh parsley
2 t. Dijon mustard
3/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 lb. ground pork
1 pd. 85 percent lean ground beef
Glaze
1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. cider vinegar
3 T. packed brown sugar
1 t. hot sauce
1/2 t. ground coriander
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat overn to 350 degrees. Fold heavy-dty aluminum foil to form 9 by 5 ince rectable. Center foil on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in foil with skewer (about 1/2 inch apart). Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
2. Melt butter in 12-inch skilletover 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 T. broth and garlic; cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any browned bits, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl to cool.
3. Whisk eggs, remaining 1/2c. broth, and soy suce together in bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over egg mixture and let sit until gelatin softens, about 5 minutes.
4. Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Add gelatin mixture, cooled mushroom mixture, parlsey, mustard, pepper, and thyme to bread crubs 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.
5. Transfer meat mixture to foil rectangle and shape into 9 x 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.
(NOTE: I actually made this on a Sunday, and after this step, removed the meatloaf from the oven for a few hours before going on to the glaze part)
6. While meatloaf cooks, bring all the ingredients for the glaze to simmer in a small sucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.
7. 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.
