America Test Kitchen Meatloaf Food

GLAZED ALL-BEEF MEAT LOAF (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place oven rack in center of oven.
• Prepare your cooking pan by placing a cooling rack over a baking pan with sides, then cover with aluminum foil; poke small holes every half inch or so and spray with cooking spray.
• Place the grated cheese on a plate and place in the freezer until ready to use.
• Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add butter and cook until foamy; add onions and celery, cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes.
• Add in garlic, thyme, paprika; cook, stirring, about a minute.
• Reduce heat to low and stir in tomato juice; transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and broth; sprinkle with the gelatin and let sit 5 minutes.
• Stir in soy sauce, mustard, saltines, parsley, salt, pepper, and the onion mixture; crumble frozen cheese over top.
• Add ground beef and mix with hands until combined.
• Transfer meat mixture to prepared foil lined pan and form into a 10 x 6 inch loaf (it should be about 2 inches high).
• Bake to an internal temperature of 135 to 140 degrees F, about 55 to 65 minutes; remove from oven and set oven to broil.
• Meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer.
• Stir until syrupy, about 5 minutes.
• Spread half the glaze over the meatloaf and broil until bubbly and beginning to brown at the edges; repeat with remaining glaze.
• Let sit 20 minutes before slicing.

TEST KITCHEN'S FAVORITE ALL-BEEF MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear bread into pieces; pulse in a food processor to make fine crumbs (or use plain breadcrumbs) set aside.
• Cook the Vegetables:Pulse vegetables in food processor until finely chopped (or do so by hand). Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add vegetables, thyme, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt to skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, broth, and 1/4 cup ketchup. Remove from heat; let cool completely.
• Prep the Meat and Glaze: In a small bowl, stir together remaining 1/2 cup ketchup and the brown sugar for glaze; set aside. In a large bowl, combine vegetable mixture with ground chuck, egg, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined.
• Bake and Let Cool:On a rimmed baking sheet, form meat mixture into a loaf that's 10 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 2 inches high, packing firmly to prevent cracking. Coat top and sides with glaze. Bake until top is caramelized and a thermometer inserted into thickest part registers 165 degrees, 55 to 65 minutes. (If top is browning too quickly, tent with foil.) Let cool at least 25 minutes, then serve with comforting sides, like mashed potatoes. and sauteed broccolini.

OUR FAVORITE MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or 13x9" shallow baking dish with foil. Soak breadcrumbs in milk in a large bowl until ready to use.
• Pulse onion, celery, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. (Alternatively, you can finely chop by hand.)
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion mixture, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in Worcestershire, and scrape into bowl with breadcrumb mixture. Add beef, pork, eggs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining 1 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper, then mix with your hands to combine.
• Form meatloaf mixture into a long, well-packed, approximately 5"-wide loaf shape on prepared baking sheet. Brush top of loaf with 1/4 cup ketchup. Bake meatloaf until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155°F, 60-75 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with more ketchup alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Meatloaf can be made 3 days ahead; wrap in foil and chill, or freeze for up to 3 months.

THE FOOD LAB'S ALL-AMERICAN MEATLOAF RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the chicken stock and buttermilk in a liquid measuring cup and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Set aside.
• Place the bread and mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Add the anchovies, Marmite, soy sauce, paprika, and garlic to the processor bowl and pulse until reduced to a fine paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
• Heat the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add the chopped vegetable mixture and cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until it is softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes; the mixture should start to darken a bit. Stir in the buttermilk mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms and bread, stir thoroughly to combine, and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
• Add the ground meat to the bowl, along with the eggs, cheese, parsley, 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or half that volume in table salt), and 1 teaspoon pepper. With clean hands, mix gently until everything is thoroughly combined and homogeneous; it will be fairly loose. Pull off a teaspoon-sized portion of the mixture, place it on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave it on high power until cooked through, about 15 seconds. Taste the cooked piece for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper as desired.
• Transfer the mixture to a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan, being sure that no air bubbles get trapped underneath. (You may have some extra mix, depending on the capacity of your pan; this can be cooked in a ramekin or free-form next to the loaf.) Tear off a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to line a rimmed baking sheet and use it to tightly cover the meatloaf, crimping it around the edges of the pan. Refrigerate the meatloaf while the oven preheats. (The meatloaf can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. When the oven is hot, remove the meatloaf from the refrigerator and, without removing the foil cover, carefully invert it onto the rimmed baking sheet. Loosen the foil and spread it out, leaving the pan on top of the meatloaf (see note). Fold up the edges of the foil to trap the liquid that escapes from the meatloaf while baking. Bake until just beginning to set (the top should feel firm to the touch), about 30 minutes.
• Use a thin metal spatula to lift an edge of the inverted loaf pan, jiggling it until it slides off the meatloaf easily, and use oven mitts or a folded kitchen towel to remove the pan, leaving the meatloaf on the center of the foil. Return to the oven and bake until the center of the meatloaf registers 140°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 40 minutes longer. There will be quite a bit of exuded juices; this is OK. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 500°F.
• Meanwhile, Make the Glaze: Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and pepper in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the sugar is melted and the mixture is homogeneous, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Use a brush to apply some glaze to the meatloaf in a thin, even layer, then return it to the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Glaze again and bake for 3 minutes longer. Glaze one more time and bake until the glaze is beginning to bubble and is a deep burnished brown, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with any extra glaze and mustard or ketchup as desired.