Recipe: Joel's Meatloaf (repost)

Hi Corky, Search 'All Boards' for: joel meatloaf Click on the first message that appears on the left and then click the 'Show Replies' button - you'll find the full thread including the meatloaf recipe and comments. Another way is to search the What's for Dinner board by Author (I believe the recipe is in the section 2 of Joel's posts. Here's the recipe:

Posted by: Joel---NYC on Wednesday September 9th 1998 05:30:24 PM
www.recipelink.com

You all had me laughing as I read through all of your messages... Its SOOO good to know that I'm not alone in my love for reading cookbooks!!!! I even find myself re-reading them too... I guess its because when I grew up... my best memories were usually centered around the dinnertable... and in my family... if we weren't eating.... we were talking about eating!!!

But I will tell you that I have gotten some of the strangest stares from intrigued people who can't fathom why anyone in the world would love to read cook books... more or less ENJOY cooking!!! I usually laugh... cause I can't think of anything more enjoyable... especially theses days... when everything is sooo controversial... its so nice to find some rays of sunshine in my day where... the "reading" doesn't have to be politically correct and the food doesn't care what kind of day I've had... or how I look!!!

Oh well... Here it goes... Now do me one favor folks... when you make this recipe follow it to a tee the first time through... The only reason I ask this is because I know how much we like to change everything here and there... but you just gotta try it how it is... trust me on this one!!! ( I baked this free form... with the bacon wrapped... and used quick oatmeal as the filler...)

PERFECT MEAT LOAF
From: The Perfect Recipe by Pam Anderson
Serves: 6-8

If you like, you can double the glaze and omit the bacon topping from the loaf. Brush on half the glaze before baking, and the other half during the last 15minutes of baking time.

FOR THE BROWN SUGAR-KETCHUP GLAZE:
1/4 cup ketchup (or chili sauce)
2 Tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cider or white vinegar
FOR THE MEAT LOAF:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/2 cup milk, buttermilk or low-fat plain yogurt
1 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
2/3 cup quick oatmeal or saltine crackers crushed
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6-8 ounces thin-sliced bacon (8-9 slices)

1. Glaze: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Meat Loaf: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add onion and garlic, and saute until softened, about 5 minutes; set aside to cool.

3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire, pepper sauce and milk or yogurt. In a large bowl add egg mixture to the ground chuck, ground veal and ground pork. Next add the oatmeal or crackers (depending upon what you have decided to add), parsley, cooked onion and garlic; mix with a fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture does stick, add additional milk, a couple tablespoons at a time, and continue stirring until mixture stops sticking.)

4. Turn the meat mixture onto a work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into a loaf approximately 9x5 inches.

5. To bake free-form: Cover a wire rack with foil; prick foil in several places with a fork to allow drainage. Place rack on a shallow roasting pan lined with foil for easy cleanup. Set formed loaf on rack. Brush loaf with all of glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping them slightly and tucking them under the loaf to prevent curling.

6. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 F., about 1 hour. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice and serve.

7. To bake in a loaf pan: Omit bacon and double glaze. Turn meat mixture into a loaf pan WITH a PERFORATED bottom, fitted with a drip pan. Use a fork to pull mixture away from pan sides. Brush mixture with half of the glaze. Bake until glaze is set, about 45 minutes. Brush with remaining glaze and continue to bake until second coat has set and loaf registers 160 F about 15 minutes longer.