Glazed All-Beef Meatloaf
By America's Test KitchenPublished on February 5, 2012
Time
2 hours, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Meatloaf
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated on small holes of box grater (about 1 cup)1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)1 medium rib celery, chopped fine (about ½ cup)1 medium clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon paprika ¼ cup tomato juice ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth 2 large eggs ½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ⅔ cup crushed saltine crackers 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves ¾ teaspoon table salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 pound ground sirloin 1 pound ground beef chuckGlaze
½ cup ketchup 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce ½ teaspoon ground coriander ¼ cup cider vinegar 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugarBefore You Begin
If you can't find chuck and/or sirloin, substitute any 85 percent lean ground beef. Handle the meat gently; it should be thoroughly combined but not pastelike. To avoid using the broiler, glaze the loaf in a 500-degree oven; increase cooking time for each interval by 2 to 3 minutes. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your meatloaf to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread cheese on plate and place in freezer until ready to use.
- Fold heavy-duty aluminum foil to form a 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Center the foil on a metal cooling rack and place the rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in the foil with a skewer (about ¹⁄₂ inch apart). Spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.
- Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomato juice. Cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside to cool.
- Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, mustard, saltines, parsley, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Crumble frozen cheese into coarse powder and sprinkle over mixture. Add ground beef; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to foil rectangle and shape into 10 by 6-inch oval about 2 inches high. Smooth top and edges of meatloaf with moistened spatula. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 135 to 140 degrees, 55 to 65 minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and turn on broiler.
- While meatloaf cooks, combine ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meatloaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; place back under broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meatloaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing.
Time
2 hours, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Meatloaf
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated on small holes of box grater (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 medium rib celery, chopped fine (about ½ cup)
1 medium clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup tomato juice
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅔ cup crushed saltine crackers
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
¾ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground beef chuck
Glaze
½ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Meatloaf
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated on small holes of box grater (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 medium rib celery, chopped fine (about ½ cup)
1 medium clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup tomato juice
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅔ cup crushed saltine crackers
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
¾ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground beef chuck
Glaze
½ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Meatloaf
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated on small holes of box grater (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 medium rib celery, chopped fine (about ½ cup)
1 medium clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
¼ cup tomato juice
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅔ cup crushed saltine crackers
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
¾ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground beef chuck
Glaze
½ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To create an all-beef meatloaf recipe that could compete with a recipe made with meatloaf mix, we used equal parts ground chuck and sirloin, which provided just the right balance of juicy, tender meat and assertive beefy flavor. Chicken broth was a surprisingly successful add-in; it transformed the loaf from liver-y to savory. To replace the gelatin that was lost with the ground veal in the meatloaf mix, we used a mere half-teaspoon of powdered gelatin to give the texture of our glazed meatloaf a luxurious smoothness.
Before You Begin
If you can't find chuck and/or sirloin, substitute any 85 percent lean ground beef. Handle the meat gently; it should be thoroughly combined but not pastelike. To avoid using the broiler, glaze the loaf in a 500-degree oven; increase cooking time for each interval by 2 to 3 minutes. If food safety is your primary concern, you may want to cook your meatloaf to a higher internal temperature. To learn more, check out this guide.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread cheese on plate and place in freezer until ready to use.
- Fold heavy-duty aluminum foil to form a 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Center the foil on a metal cooling rack and place the rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in the foil with a skewer (about ¹⁄₂ inch apart). Spray the foil with vegetable oil spray.
- Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomato juice. Cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside to cool.
- Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, mustard, saltines, parsley, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Crumble frozen cheese into coarse powder and sprinkle over mixture. Add ground beef; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to foil rectangle and shape into 10 by 6-inch oval about 2 inches high. Smooth top and edges of meatloaf with moistened spatula. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 135 to 140 degrees, 55 to 65 minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and turn on broiler.
- While meatloaf cooks, combine ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meatloaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meatloaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; place back under broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meatloaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing.
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