The American love affair with meat loaf is not only enduring, but if anything, it is also intensifying. The restaurant trend continues unabated, as establishments serve meat loaf with great pride, although their concoctions are generally no better than the humble ones made at home.
An American friend living in England serves meat loaf at dinner parties as if it were an imported specialty. The French, of course, have their own meat loaf; they call it pate. Some versions even come close to the moist American meat loaf. But most pates are made with very finely ground, dense meat, and are nothing like what Americans are used to.
One reason we tend to keep it so simple, I think, is that meat loaf is family food; children have to like it. For that reason, I’ve included a basic meat loaf here, but I also offer a slightly sweet turkey-and-cranberry loaf that children will find irresistible at Thanksgiving–or anytime.
To make a light meat loaf, care must be taken in the mixing. The easiest way to distribute ingredients evenly without overmixing is to fold them into the meat, poking them down into the center and breaking up any clumps of meat with your fingers as you go.
To test the meat for seasoning, heat a cup of water to a boil. Roll a teaspoon of the prepared mixture into a ball. Drop it into the boiling water, lower the heat and simmer the meat for about two minutes before tasting it.
The recipes here make individual meat loaf servings; they cook more easily, and each loaf can be adapted to individual tastes with optional mix-ins, a feature children especially love.
To make dried bread crumbs: Slice or cube leftover bread. Heat the oven to 200 degrees and spread the bread pieces in an even layer on a large roasting pan. Bake the bread 1 hour, or until it is completely dry, turning it occasionally. Store it in a brown paper bag, not plastic. To make the crumbs, pulse bread cubes in a food processor until fine.
BASIC MEAT LOAF
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
1 onion, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 carrot, peeled, halved, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
3 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled
2 ribs celery, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/3 pounds ground round
2/3 cup unseasoned dried bread crumbs
2/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Few grinds black pepper
Optional (choose 1 or more):
8 oil-packed anchovies, minced
20 Kalamata olives, rinsed, pitted, coarsely chopped
4 heaping teaspoons capers, rinsed, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Additional black pepper
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put onion, carrot, garlic and celery in bowl of a food processor; pulse until vegetables are chopped medium fine.
2. Combine all ingredients, except 4 tablespoons of the ketchup. Add optional ingredients, if using.
3. Divide mixture into 4 equal parts. Form into mounded ovals that do not touch in a 9- by 13-inch heatproof glass baking dish. Cook 30 minutes. Spread 1 tablespoon of ketchup over the top of each loaf; bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let rest 5 minutes. Serve on individual plates.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……… 320 Fat …………. 6 g Cholesterol .. 75 mg
Sodium …… 1,480 mg Carbohydrates .. 35 g Protein ……. 30 g
TURKEY AND CRANBERRY MEAT LOAF
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
2/3 cup each: chopped dried cranberries, chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey
1 tablespoon each: kosher salt, celery seed
2 teaspoons dried sage
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Ground black pepper
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Soak cranberries 10 minutes in 1/3 cup hot tap water; drain. Combine with all other ingredients.
2. Divide mixture into 4 equal parts. Form into mounded ovals that do not touch in a 13- by 9-inch heatproof glass dish. Bake 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories ……… 425 Fat ………… 25 g Cholesterol .. 75 mg
Sodium …… 1,285 mg Carbohydrates .. 20 g Protein ……. 30 g
