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Mom's Meatloaf

Source of Recipe

From "Old-School Comfort Food" by Alex Guarnaschelli


Recipe Introduction

"On the corner of my block was this old Irish bar, Mulligan's. Sometimes I would see the cooks there slicing big thick wedges of meatloaf and it made me want to grab two oversize slices of crusty bread and make a sandwich. My mother's tiny meatloaf paled in comparison the first time I saw her pull it from the oven. It didn't have that oversize look, but I smiled politely as she cut me a small slice. Then I took a bite. Ketchup? Yes. Tarragon and sour cream? Strokes of genius. My meatloaf allegiance was forever changed. If you have time, grind your own beef, using brisket and chuck, and your own pork, using a shoulder cut. I will admit that I get a meatloaf that is slightly lighter and the meat is easier to work with."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 teaspoons canola oil, plus more if needed
◦ 2 small yellow onions, minced (about 1 cup)
◦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
◦ Kosher salt
◦ 1 pound ground beef (preferably 8 ounces ground sirloin and 8 ounces ground chuck)
◦ � pound ground pork (preferably shoulder)
◦ 1 teaspoon hot paprika
◦ 1 teaspoon black pepper
◦ 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain dried bread crumbs, plus more if needed
◦ ⅔ cup ketchup, plus more for brushing, preferably Heinz
◦ 1 cup sour cream
◦ 1 medium bunch curly parsley, leaves chopped (� cup)
◦ 1 medium bunch fresh tarragon, leaves chopped (2 tablespoons)
◦ 3 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus another as needed


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 400� F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring from time to time, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and set aside to cool. Reserve the pan; do not wipe it out.

Put the beef and pork in a large bowl and gently knead them together with your hands. Spread the meat out on the bottom and the sides of the bowl and season with 2 teaspoons salt. Add the paprika, the pepper, bread crumbs, ketchup, sour cream, parsley, tarragon, the onion mixture, and 3 of the eggs. Mix to blend.

Heat the skillet over medium heat; if there isn't a sufficient layer of fat left in the pan, add a little more oil. When the pan is hot, lower the heat and add a small piece of the meatloaf mixture. Cook until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and taste. If too moist, add more bread crumbs. If too dry, add another egg.

Mold the meat mixture into the shape of a rectangular loaf pan, roughly 9-by-5 inches, and place it on the parchment-lined baking sheet. The meat will feel slightly wet. It should form into a ball but still stick to your hands slightly. Bake for 15 minutes. Brush the meatloaf with additional ketchup and lower the oven temperature to 350� F. Bake until the meat is firm when touched or when it has an internal temperature of 150� F, 30 to 35 minutes more. Remove from the oven, pour off any excess grease, and allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Brush again with ketchup, if desired.

Serves 6 to 8






❧ Old-School Tip:
Ever bite into meatloaf and end up with a piece of undercooked onion or a chunk of raw garlic? I find adding them raw to meatloaf sometimes results in steamed (read: tasteless) or even crunchy bits of vegetable. By cooking them on their own first, the garlic and the onion meld more into the meat.