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Classic Bacon-Wrapped Glazed Meatloaf

Source of Recipe

From "The Cook's Illustrated Meat Book"


Recipe Introduction

"Nearly all aspects of meatloaf recipes can vary, from meat to flavorings to cooking method. Although we know there is no absolute right or wrong to make meatloaf, we decided to sift through the myriad of options to come up with an outstanding version of our own. Loaf pans can be problematic when making meatloaf: The meat stews in its own juices, and those juices can bubble up the sides and dilute the glaze. We prefer to bake our meatloaf free-form on an aluminum foil-lined wire rack. Free from excess liquid, the sides and top of our meatloaf browned nicely, and the bacon crisped up perfectly. Eliminating the loaf pan also allowed us to glaze the entire meatloaf, rather than just the top. If you like, you can omit the bacon topping from the loaf. In this case, brush on half the glaze before baking and the other half during the last 15 minutes of baking. If it's available at your supermarket in the meat case or by special order, you can use 2 pounds meatloaf mix in place of the ground beef, pork, and veal."

List of Ingredients

Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze:
â—¦ ½ cup ketchup or chili sauce
â—¦ ¼ cup packed brown sugar
â—¦ 4 teaspoons cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar

Meatloaf:
â—¦ 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
â—¦ 1 onion, chopped
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ ½ cup whole milk or plain yogurt, plus extra if needed
â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
â—¦ 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon pepper
â—¦ ½ teaspoon dried thyme
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon hot sauce
â—¦ 1 pound 80 percent lean ground chuck
â—¦ ½ pound ground pork
â—¦ ½ pound ground veal
â—¦ â…” cup crushed saltines (about 16) or â…” cup quick oats or 1 â…“ cups fresh bread crumbs
â—¦ â…“ cup minced fresh parsley
â—¦ 8 to 12 slices bacon


Recipe

For the glaze: Combine all ingredients in small saucepan; set aside.

For the meatloaf: Line 13 by 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Let cool while preparing remaining ingredients.

In large bowl, combine milk, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, thyme, and hot sauce. Add beef, pork, veal, saltines, parsley, and sautéed onion mixture; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until mixture no longer sticks.)

Turn meat mixture onto counter. With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9 by 5-inch loaf shape. Place in prepared baking pan. Brush with half of glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.

Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Let cool at least 20 minutes. Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly. Slice meatloaf and serve with extra glaze.

Serves 6 to 8