Mystic Meatloaf

Meatloaf can, at times, be a rather dull, dry affair but not if you make my Mystic Meatloaf. That is because it contains lots of vegetables that add flavor, texture and moisture. While meatloaf is not everyone’s cup of tea, often referred to as “mystery meat” when served in school cafeterias, it is a mainstay of cuisines around the world, albeit, in the form of a meatball more often than a big ole’ loaf. I hope you find that this version a sublime, mystical experience, as opposed to a strangely mysterious one.

Start with 2 lbs of ground beef (ground chuck, preferably). I personally remove the ground meat from the refrigerator about an hour ahead of time. It cooks better that way, in my opinion. Allowing the eggs that are used as a binder to come to room temperature is also a good idea. Of course, everyone should follow their own sensibilities in such matters.

Step 1. Prepare the vegetables
One medium-size, yellow onion, chopped

2 – 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Thinly slice 1 stalk of celery
Finely dice 2 medium-size carrots
Finely shred a cup of green cabbage. (Don’t balk at the cabbage, it melts into the meatloaf and does not impart a “cabbagy” flavor at all)

2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme (just strip leaves from stems)

Feel free to add or substitute vegetables. A red, yellow or orange bell peppers would be good...green less so, in my book. Parsnips or baby turnips could be tasty too, just so long as they are well diced. There are not rules. Go nuts!

Heat 1-2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet to medium (a cooking spray can be used, if one is so inclined)
Add onions, celery and carrots with a small pinch of salt and sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Sweating the veggies means they release their juice but don’t brown. The salt encourages the release of juices.
Add in the cabbage with another teeny pinch of salt and continue to sweat for another minute or two. Add in the garlic and herbs and sweat for another 30 seconds or until the garlic releases its delightful aroma. Remove the vegetables from the heat and add a couple of grinds of black pepper. Place the vegetable mixture in a bowl and allow to come to room temperature before assembling meatloaf.

Step 2 . While the vegetables cool, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.


Step 3. Assemble and mix the ingredients

Good bread crumbs make the meatloaf and fresh bread crumbs work the best. You will need 1 cup to 1 ½ cups of bread crumbs, depending on how dense you like your meatloaf. You can easily make fresh bread crumbs by cubing up some whole grain, white bread or any bread you like and pulsing it in a food processor or blender. If you don’t want to grind up fresh bread crumbs, the next best thing is to use panko crumbs. If neither of the above float your boat, by all means, use dried bread crumbs.

Soak the bread crumbs in enough milk (skim, whole or anything in between) to saturate them, usually about 1/3 cup. Assemble your ingredients or get your “mise in place,” as the professionals would say. (Literally means something like “put in place,” as in have all ingredients prepped and ready to go.)


Once the vegetables have cooled, place the ground meat in a large bowl.
Add:
1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
The soaked bread crumbs
2 lightly beaten, room temp eggs
1- 2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2-3 Tablespoons of catsup
The sautéed vegetables
Mix to completely combine.

Step 4. Form into a loaf in a baking pan or use a loaf pan.


Step 5. Bake for an hour or until done.

Meatloaf is done, in my book, when it reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees based on an instant read thermometer. However, I think, some incredible number such as 180 degree is the officially advocated temperature (once again, follow your own sensibilities). Either way, the center should be firm to the touch.