Chunky Meatloaf
This is the best meatloaf I have ever made. It has all the elements that people like, crunchy bits, chewy bits and all the meat they can ever hope for.
This is the best meatloaf I have ever made. It has all the elements that people like, crunchy bits, chewy bits and all the meat they can ever hope for.
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 dash hot pepper sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- for the glaze:
- 1/4 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 cup catsup
- 1/2 large onion roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot peeled and broken
- 3 whole cloves garlic
- 1/2 ea red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup quick oats
- 2 slices white bread torn up
- 18 ounces ground chuck
- 1 lb eye of the round cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 6 dashes worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Carbohydrate 33.8439426097607 g
- Cholesterol 234.028452609 mg
- Fat 54.3482638196432 g
- Fiber 3.54526765574238 g
- Protein 50.3785777341997 g
- Saturated Fat 20.3366509588406 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (432g)
- Sodium 1131.69428707166 mg
- Sugar 30.2986749540183 g
- Trans Fat 8.43367997117641 g
- Calories 831 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a large frying pan cook off the beef cubes with a little olive oil and salt. Remove the meat to a dish and deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup dark red wine like Merlot. Let reduce to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat.
- In a food processor bowl, combine bread, bread crumbs, oats, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Add the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is chopped, but not pureed. In a large bowl combine the vegetable and bread mixture, ground sausage, cubed meat and ground chuck. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and drippings from the beef pan and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat too much.
- Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Press it down hard to mold it firmly. Turn it out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 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 and bake.
- Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and cayenne pepper. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes and every 10 minutes after that till done.
Swapping the ground pork for extra-lean ground turkey shifts the final moisture balance downward because poultry fat renders differently at 325 degrees Fahrenheit than pork fat does. Meatloaf relies on a precise matrix of proteins and starches to hold its shape while retaining internal juices. When mixing ground chuck, ground pork, and diced eye of the round, mechanical action dictates the mouthfeel. Overworking the protein strands transforms a tender loaf into a dense, sausage-like density, which is why gentle combination is critical. Bread crumbs and quick oats act as structural sponges, absorbing moisture released during baking and preventing the proteins from tightening into a rigid block.
Freezing, Storage, and Reheating Dynamics
Prepared raw meatloaf can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then stored in the freezer for up to three months safely. Thawing this mass requires a full twenty-four hours in the refrigerator to ensure the interior reaches a safe temperature zone evenly before cooking. When reheating cooked slices, cover them loosely with foil and introduce a tablespoon of water or beef stock to the pan to recreate steam, preventing the exterior from drying out in a 300-degree oven. Utilizing a digital temperature probe inserted at a forty-five-degree angle guarantees accuracy without allowing precious juices to escape through wide gaps.
- Dry exterior crust: Apply the catsup glaze during the final twenty minutes rather than the beginning if your oven runs hot.
- Sinking center: Pack the meat mixture firmly into the loaf pan to eliminate air pockets before turning it onto the baking sheet.
- Exexcessive grease pooling: Dice the eye of the round uniformly into half-inch cubes so the fat renders at a predictable rate alongside the ground chuck.
