Classic Meat Loaf – Its the American way

I did not know what meat loaf was until one day my Quay Lo (that American guy of mine) introduced this “Very American Thing” to me. From what I read in the “Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink”, meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food, a dish that brings back fond childhood memories for many American families. There are a varieties of preparation ranging from an ordinary meatloaf of just ground beef and chopped onion to one that is enhanced with herbs, flavours and "secret sauce" toppings.

Meatloaf is almost like saying "stew", almost a generic name, in its versatility, and lets the cook exhibit their creativity. Some basic notes however are worth heeding: To get a moist meatloaf, use only soft bread crumbs. To make your meatloaf more attractive, you may consider topping it with mashed potatoes or your favorite cheese. If cheese is used, don’t forget to return the meat loaf to the oven to bake for an extra 5-8 mins to let the cheese melt before serving. Also, be sure to keep any left over’s to use for sandwiches or crumble it in chilli sauce or tomato sauce to serve as an appetizer. My American thinks meatloaf is one of those dishes that ages in the fridge overnight to yield something far better the next day. He also thinks the meat should not be ground too fine. "If you want pate' go to France" is what I think he muttered as discussed the preparation for my first meat loaf.

What follows is a classic meat loaf served with mashed potatoes and brown gravy. No extra ingredients, no tricky flavour enhancements yet the taste is truly like a down to earth home style meatloaf. Yet, I suspect it is almost a holy experience for some Americans. Mine kept pausing, and sighing between mouthfuls, apparently in some kind of rapture and I am thinking what is this? It's just ground beef, it''s not like it's abalone in XO sauce...right?

Largely adapted from Janet Caldwell’s recipe
Classic Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 egg

1 onion, chopped

1 cup milk

1 cup soft bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan, OR form into a loaf and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.


Largely adapted from Linda Larsen
Mashed potatoes
Ingredients:

2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup light cream, warmed

1-1/2 tsp. salt

ground black pepper

Method:
In a large pot, place potatoes. Cover with cold water by about 1". Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce heat to low and simmer potatoes until tender when pricked with a fork. This should take 20-30 minutes. Drain potatoes in a large colander; shake gently. Return potatoes to the hot dry pot and place over very low heat. Shake potatoes over the heat for 1-2 minutes to dry them. Mash potatoes with a potato masher or put through a ricer. Then stir in butter with spoon until well mixed. Add light cream, salt, and pepper to taste and mix well. Serve immediately or hold over hot water as directed above. 8-10 serving

Brown gravy
For convenience, I use Bisto rich brown a product from Australia. To make the gravy, just follow instruction on the box.

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