Of course, in the pond, there are periods of famine – or fasts – when meat is not eaten, but we do eat meat the rest of the time.
Although the Ol’ Curmudgeon on his blog talks about food a lot, and although he does much of the cooking in our pond these days, I used to do the cooking, and certain recipes seem to be “mine” rather than things he cooks. Meatloaf is one of those recipes. So, when we are eating meat, and I’m having a particularly good day, he will ask me to make it.
Because he is just rabid about it, I tried to put together my recipe. But it just doesn’t lend itself to traditional recipe formats! Guess he has influenced me too much! So, such as it is, here is “my” take on Meatloaf:
I don’t think I’ve ever made meatloaf the same way twice. As long as the Ol’ Curmudgeon likes it, I won’t worry about it. What is meatloaf? Well it’s a basic food staple.
From time immemorial, people have mixed meat with veggies, breads, thickeners and various spices, baked it in a loaf or patty, and served — sometimes with a sauce or gravy, sometimes without. They did this to stretch the meat in lean times, to use up bits of meat that otherwise might have been thrown out, and to make tough meats more digestible. In early times, the meat used was already cooked — usually leftovers — whereas now-a-days we tend to use a raw ground meat — either beef or pork, but lamb, chicken, turkey and veal can be used, also. Any meat, actually. Horse, anyone? Donkey? Goat? Yup. Any or all of the above!
What I do these days is get or make about 2 pounds of meatloaf mix — 1/3 ground beef, 1/3 ground pork, 1/3 ground veal. Add in 1-2 sweet Italian sausages removed from the casing. Do not mix, yet!! Now the variations begin! About 1/3 to 1 cup of bread crumbs. I’ve used: pulverized bread out of the loaf, crushed croutons, crumbled cornbread, prepared breadcrumbs from the grocery. I’ve used more, I‘ve used less. In this case, less isn’t very good, and too much more is not very good, either. Just toss them in on top of the meat. Toss in 1-4 Tbsp of some kind of meat sauce — Heinz, Worcestershire, A-1, Lea and Perrins steak sauce, etc. I tend to use a thick, savory sauce, like Lea and Perrins Steak Sauce. Chop up some onions. About a quarter cup to half a cup is good. I don’t add bell peppers, but some people do. If you add them, don’t add much, chop them up very finely, and “sweat” them before adding to make them really tender and sweet. Salt, pepper to taste. I use seasoned salt and lemon pepper. Only now do you mix — very lightly — just enough to get a semi-even distribution of all ingredients. Some people try to “squish” it in their hands to mix. I use a couple of table knives, and cut through several times, then toss with a fork.
Precook, about half-way done, enough bacon to cover the top of the loaf. While the bacon is cooking, gently pack the meat into a loaf pan. Liberally cover the top with ketchup. I use Hunt’s — nice deep flavor, not too spicy. Once the bacon is about half-way done, lay the strips over the top.
Bake in a 350degF oven for about an hour, or until the meat is done in the center (145deg on meat thermometer).
The first night we have it, we just slice it and serve warm. We don’t like gravy on it, but others do. A flour gravy, a sausage gravy, brown gravy — whatever you like will work if you want gravy.
The next day, we slice thinly and make sandwiches with lots of mayo and sweet relish on them. I like some spicy dark mustard on mine; the Ol’ Curmudgeon does not. O well! To each his — or her — own!
Other things that can be done with meatloaf include: rolling up into little dough-covered packets — pasta dough makes raviolis, yeast dough makes pierogs, flatbread (pita) makes gyros, tortillas makes burritos, corndough covered with corn shucks makes tamales. Good for lunch pails. The meatloaf should be cooked before adding to these to avoid having food poisoning problems. Every culture seems to have some kind of meat roll.
Roll in packets of wonton skins and cook in chicken-miso stock, then fry — you have egg-rolls. (Leave out the meat, only use veggies, cook in miso stock, then fry — then you have spring rolls.)
Another delightful thing to do with a meatloaf mix is to roll it in softened cabbage leaves and cook all lined up and stacked in a deep pot (crock pot will do) with some broth of some kind around it. Cabbage rolls are an Eastern European fave. Think Poland, the Ukraine, Russia, Slovakia, etc. Good with a generous dollop of sour cream on top!
Roll into little balls, cook in a skillet — voila! Meatballs! Add to some cream sauce or tomato sauce and serve over pasta — Spaghetti and Meatballs! Or, add to a savory brown sauce and — Hungarian meatballs.
It’s all the same stuff. And it’s all good, plain, basic, country cooking. Country French, country English, country Russian, country, country American — add your own geographic area!
To get it to where you like it requires experimentation. That’s something we have problems with in our “Mickie-D” society. We want to do it fast without playing around. Some people are actually fearful of experimenting in the kitchen. To them I say, put your fears aside and get your hands greasy!!
Oh, sounds nummy! I haven’t cooked meatloaf in ages and had never thought about all the variations. Guess that’s why I’m bored with food, not enough though about variations.
I always consider variations for everything I make (or used to make when I could cook). As I publish more recipes over the next several months, you will see that I tend to use “pattern cooking.” I have a basic pattern for most dishes, and vary according to the season, and current mood.
Cheerio!
Turtlemom3
And then… there is salmon cake meat loaf for the Great Fast. On days that the Omega 3’s are allowed, along with – at least – a 750 ml bottle of Bin 50 Shiraz (Lindemann’s Australia), or Dolce Montepulciano from the upper east cost of the peninsula, I would say that is a good start.
For entreés, try pear slices on romaine with walnuts, grapefruit wedges, sunflower kernals and balsamic/olive oil dressing. Mmm!
While the salmon loaf is baking in the oven, you eat your salad and polish off the bottle of wine. So if the salmon loaf doesn’t come out like it’s supposed to… WHO CARES?!
Sort of like the conundrum: if you drop a banjo and an accordion off the top of a building, which one will hit the ground first? (I know the ‘law of gravity’ says they will arrive at the same time…)
…but WHO CARES?!
Oh well, gotta go pull the salmon loaf out of the oven before it burns. Burnt sacrifices weren’t included with the plans for Theosis. 🙂
Andreas Ernest O’Dell
The Blanco Republic
uh huh well ummmmmmmmmmmm great?!?! i guess?
Wal, I tell ya’, Madison – if you are a vegetarian, none of this will make a great deal of sense. BUT if you are not a vegetarian, and if you are a practicing Eastern Orthodox Christian, I assure you that meat in any form is an object of great interest. Even the lowly meatloaf.
By the way, Andreas, Omega-3’s (AKA fish, for those who are wondering) are NOT permitted during the Great Fast – except on Annunciation. Period. End of Statement. The Nativity Fast does permit Omega-3’s on weekends until the last two. The Dormition Fast is as strict as Great Lent – NO fishes. The Apostles’ Fast requires a Church Calendar to figure out! Trust me! Goodness gracious! How confoosin’! Here’s an excellent one:
http://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/
Turtlemom3