Growing up, I was never a fan of meatloaf. I don’t know why, because even then meatballs were my favorite food and meatloaf is essentially a meatball in loaf form.
Well, meatloaf came up in conversation on Thanksgiving so we decided to make it this week and I have CHANGED MY MIND! This recipe was so good – moist and sweet from the glaze, with a little kick from the different kinds of pepper. We halved the recipe and I noted our other edits below.
Good Eats Meatloaf
from Alton Brown
6 oz garlic-flavored croutons (we used regular bread crumbs)
1/2 Tsp ground black pepper
1/2 Tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tsp chili powder
1 Tsp dried thyme
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and broken
3 whole cloves garlic
1/2 red bell pepper
18 oz ground chuck
18 oz ground sirloin (we used ground pork in place of the sirloin)
1 1/2 Tsp kosher salt
1 egg
For the glaze:
1/2 C catsup
1 Tsp ground cumin
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 Tbs honey
Heat oven to 325 degrees F (we suggest upping to 350 degrees).
In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.
Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.
Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes. (Total cook-time for our little half loaf was about an hour).
Enjoy!
