GLAZED ALL-BEEF MEATLOAF

Glazed All-Beef Meatloaf image

Every all-beef meat loaf we've tasted has had the same problems-chewy texture and uninteresting flavor, making it more of a hamburger in the shape of a log than bonafide meat loaf. In the past, when we wanted a great meat loaf, we turned to a traditional meat-loaf mix consisting of beef, pork, and veal. Could we create an all-beef meat loaf to compete with this classic? Supermarkets offer a wide selection of "ground beef," and after testing them alone and in combination we determined that equal parts of chuck (for moisture) and sirloin (for beefy flavor) were best. Beef has a livery taste that we wanted to subdue, and the usual dairy additions to meat loaf didn't work. Chicken broth, oddly enough, neutralized this off-flavor and provided moisture. For additional moisture and richness, we included mild-tasting Monterey Jack cheese, which also helped bind the mixture. To avoid pockets of oozing hot cheese in the meat loaf, we shredded the cheese and froze it briefly. Crushed saltines, our choice for the starchy filler, provided texture, but we felt our meat loaf needed more "sliceability." Surprisingly, gelatin gave us just the smooth, luxurious texture we sought. We seasoned the mixture with onions, celery, garlic (all sautéed), thyme, paprika, soy sauce, and mustard. A traditional ketchup glaze crowned our flavorful all-beef meat loaf.

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 29

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8
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
Ingredients
Meatloaf
3ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated on small holes of box grater (about 1 cup)
1tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1medium rib celery, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
1medium clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1teaspoon paprika
1/4cup tomato juice
1/2cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/2teaspoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
1tablespoon soy sauce
1teaspoon Dijon mustard
2/3cup crushed saltine crackers
2tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3/4teaspoon table salt
1/2teaspoon ground black pepper
1pound ground sirloin
1pound ground beef chuck
Glaze
1/2cup ketchup
1teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2teaspoon ground coriander
1/4cup cider vinegar
3tablespoons packed light brown sugar

Steps:

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread cheese on plate and place in freezer until ready to use. Prepare baking sheet (see illustration below).
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.
Technique
Troubleshooting Meatloaf
Here are two problems we encountered when making meatloaf -- and the steps we now take to avoid them.
PROBLEM: Meatloaf sits in an unappealing pool of grease.
SOLUTION: Baking directly on a sheet pan provides no outlet for exuded grease. A foil base, poked with holes and set on a cooling rack, lets juices drain as the loaf cooks.
PROBLEM: Sides of meatloaf remain crustless. SOLUTION: Loaf pans expose only one side of the meatloaf to browning heat. By opting for a free-form loaf, we achieved an all-over browned crust.
Technique
Creating a Free-Form "Loaf Pan"
Allowing meat loaf to stew in its own juices makes for a greasy mess. Here's our solution: 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 half an inch apart). Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
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