Try this recipe, or contribute your own.
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
- 3 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup milk (optional)
- 3 slices bread toasted and crumbled
- 7 buttery round crackers crushed
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce divided
- Carbohydrate 2.32747572775271 g
- Cholesterol 57.5450580552568 mg
- Fat 16.5087023216848 g
- Fiber 0.172854056384924 g
- Protein 13.30277678372 g
- Saturated Fat 6.66555251853038 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (93g)
- Sodium 495.176671891328 mg
- Sugar 2.15462167136779 g
- Trans Fat 2.39930740291094 g
- Calories 214 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic 5 minutes, until onion is tender. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, mix the onion and garlic, beef, crumbled bread, crushed crackers, egg, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 can tomato sauce. Gradually stir in the milk 1 teaspoon at a time until mixture is moist, but not soggy. Transfer the mixture to a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 40 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C), and continue baking 15 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining tomato sauce and ketchup. Pour over the top of the meatloaf, and continue baking 10 minutes.
Removing ground meat from the oven precisely when the internal thermometer registers 160 degrees F prevents the proteins from tightening past the point of succulence. Achieving this delicate structural balance requires understanding how binders interact with lean proteins. Extra-lean ground beef lacks sufficient natural fat to maintain tenderness on its own, making moisture management critical during mixing. Combining dairy fats like sour cream with soaked starches creates a hydrating matrix that cushions the densely packed muscle fibers.
Overworking the meat mixture remains the primary mechanical error in meatloaf preparation. Compressing ground beef too firmly breaks down the protein strands, yielding a dense, rubbery loaf rather than a tender slice. Incorporating toasted breadcrumbs and crushed crackers gently by hand preserves microscopic air pockets throughout the mixture. Gradual addition of liquid ensures the starches absorb only what is necessary, preventing a soggy exterior while maintaining interior hydration. Sautéing the aromatics in butter beforehand softens their cellular walls and removes raw pungency that would otherwise overpower the delicate dairy notes.
Executing a two-stage baking profile establishes textural contrast. Initial baking at 350 degrees F cooks the interior evenly without scorching the exterior tomato coating. Raising the heat to 400 degrees F during the final stages accelerates moisture evaporation on the surface, setting the glaze firmly. For alternative dietary needs, replace dairy milk with unsweetened almond milk at a one-to-one ratio without altering the structural integrity of the starch binders.
