Southern Meatloaf
I grew up in Virginia eating meatloaf and fried potatoes a couple times a month and once I moved out, I had to keep the tradition going. I never use measuring cups or spoons when I make this, but I'll do my best to give accurate amounts of the ingredients you should use. However, feel free to add a little more or a little less depending on your taste! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
I grew up in Virginia eating meatloaf and fried potatoes a couple times a month and once I moved out, I had to keep the tradition going. I never use measuring cups or spoons when I make this, but I'll do my best to give accurate amounts of the ingredients you should use. However, feel free to add a little more or a little less depending on your taste! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
- 1 egg beaten
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 3-8 dashes cayenne pepper depends on your spice level
- 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
- 2 1/2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons italian seasoning
- 2 cups roasted garlic bread crumbs
- 1 cup bbq sauce
- Carbohydrate 23.3824432374751 g
- Cholesterol 77.1107029 mg
- Fat 17.4798900288834 g
- Fiber 2.6802030227374 g
- Protein 23.2686763665301 g
- Saturated Fat 6.70821035012899 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (224g)
- Sodium 1101.44818796019 mg
- Sugar 20.7022402147377 g
- Trans Fat 2.53216717122539 g
- Calories 347 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a loaf pan or baking dish, rub the bottom and sides with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except the bbq sauce. This works best if you use your hands instead of a mixing spoon. The last ingredient you should put in the bowl are the roasted garlic bread crumbs. Gradually add them and only make the meatloaf be able to stick together to form into a loaf. If you add too much, you may add a splash more of worchestershire sauce or a tablespoon of ketchup. The meat should not be dry whatsoever.
- Once the ingredients are thoroughly combined, in either a loaf pan or baking dish, transfer the meat and shape into a loaf.
- Lastly, take the bbq sauce with a spoon or a pastry brush and cover the top (and sides if you are using a baking dish). You may not need to use the full cup of sauce. Place the meatloaf in the oven for 1 hour then let rest for 5 minutes. Place on a serving dish and cut 1 inch slices and enjoy! :)
Ground beef mixtures behave predictably under freezing conditions if handled with specific thermal controls. The ingredient list specifies raw proteins, aromatics, and binders, but omits how moisture shifts during structural changes in the freezer. Raw beef holds considerable intracellular water. When placed in a sub-zero environment, that water forms ice crystals. Slow freezing creates large crystals that puncture cell walls, releasing liquid upon thawing and yielding a dense texture. Rapid freezing mitigates this issue. Wrap the unbaked or baked loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, to prevent moisture sublimation and freezer burn. Raw meatloaf remains chemically stable in the freezer for up to three months at zero degrees Fahrenheit. Thawing must occur inside a refrigerator held at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below to inhibit bacterial proliferation. This process requires roughly twenty-four hours for a two-pound block of meat. Alternatively, fully baked portions reheat reliably in a 350-degree oven. Cover the sliced loaf with foil to trap steam, preventing the exterior proteins from over-browning while the interior core reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Using fresh garlic yields volatile sulfur compounds that taste sharper than bottled varieties, which contain stabilizers that mute pungency during prolonged heating. Adjusting the breadcrumb ratio alters moisture retention significantly. Dry crumbs absorb free liquid released by the onions and ketchup during baking, functioning as a structural sponge. Substituting fresh bread crumbs for dry toasted ones requires increasing the total volume by roughly fifty percent because fresh crumbs contain more baseline moisture.
