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Glazed All-Beef Meatloaf

Source of Recipe

From "The Cook's Illustrated Meat Book" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"For a tender, moist, and light meatloaf, a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal (known as meatloaf mix) is usually the way to go. But sometimes we can't find meatloaf mix or don't have it on hand. We wanted to develop a recipe for an all-beef meatloaf that would be just as good as one made with meatloaf mix. We recommend using equal parts ground chuck and ground sirloin, which provide just the right balance of juicy, tender meat and assertive beefy flavor. If you can't find chuck and/or sirloin, substitute any 85 percent lean ground beef. Handle the meat gently; it should be thoroughly combined but not pastelike. To avoid using the broiler, glaze the loaf in a 500-degree oven; increase cooking time for each interval by 2 to 3 minutes."

List of Ingredients

Meatloaf:
â—¦ 3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (¾ cup)
â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 onion, chopped fine
â—¦ 1 celery rib, chopped fine
â—¦ 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
â—¦ 1 clove garlic, minced
â—¦ 1 teaspoon paprika
â—¦ ¼ cup tomato juice
â—¦ ½ cup chicken broth
â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
â—¦ â…” cup crushed saltines (about 16)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
â—¦ 1 tablespoon soy sauce
â—¦ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon pepper
â—¦ 1 pound ground sirloin
â—¦ 1 pound ground beef chuck

Glaze:
â—¦ ½ cup ketchup
â—¦ ¼ cup cider vinegar
â—¦ 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
â—¦ 1 teaspoon hot sauce
â—¦ ½ teaspoon ground coriander


Recipe

For the meatloaf: Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread Monterey Jack on plate and place in freezer until ready to use. Fold piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil to form 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Center foil on wire rack and place rack in rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in foil with skewer about ½ inch apart. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray and set aside.

Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add thyme, garlic, and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomato juice. Cook, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to bowl and set aside to cool.

Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in saltines, parsley, soy sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Crumble frozen cheese into coarse powder and sprinkle over mixture. Add ground sirloin and ground chuck; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to aluminum foil rectangle and shape into 10 by 6-inch oval about 2 inches high. Smooth top and edges of meatloaf with moistened spatula. Bake until meatloaf registers 135 to 140 degrees, 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and turn on broiler.

For the glaze: While meatloaf cooks, combine all ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meatloaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; place back under broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meatloaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6 to 8