Cooking For Engineers

[srhcb]

ENGINEERS MEATLOAF

1 lb Ground Beef (20% fat)
1/2 lb Ground Pork (at least 20% fat)(I save trimmings from chops, short ribs etc)
1 Cup Fresh Bread Crumbs
1 Egg
1 Small Carrot
1 Small Stalk Celery
1/2 Small Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Milk (more or less)
1-2 tsp Salt (to taste)
Ground Pepper (to taste)
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (optional)
1-2 drop Hot Pepper Sauce (optional)

Chop Carrot, Celery, Onion and Garlic in Food Processor
Combine Vegetables with Egg, Salt and Pepper in Large Bowl (add options if desired)
Stir in Bread Crumbs
Add Ground Beef and Pork
Add just enough Milk to bring mixture together
Mix all ingredients together gently. Do Not Squish with Hands!
Shape Meatloaf by rolling mixture back and forth between Hands into small football shape approximately 7” x 3.5” x 2”
Drop Meatloaf gently on to Baking Pan

{The Mixing and Shaping are critical. In order to achieve the desired texture, (a Meatloaf that cooks evenly through, allows fat and water to drain, and holds it’s shape when sliced), the correct amount of air must remain in the mixture. In concrete construction this is known as controlling “slump”, which is a component of the principle of “mass wasting”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_wasting }

Place in Oven pre-heated to 450 and immediately turn temp down to 350

{Optional Glaze - From Alton Brown’s Good Eats Meat Loaf

1/2 Cup Catsup
1 Tbl Ground Cumin
Dash Worcestershire Sauce
Dash Hot Pepper Sauce
1 Tbl Honey

Mix Ingredients together and brush on Meatloaf after it’s been cooking for 10 minutes}

Cook for 1 hour. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil, and let Meatloaf rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Yields eight 3/4” slices plus two ends (the best part!)

Serve as is, slice cold for sandwiches, or reheat by slicing and sauteing.

[DevilDuster]

This sounds good, but try substituting Devil Dust (made by Waddy Spice Traders) for the Hot Pepper sauce. It a finely crushed blend of hot peppers that can be added both during cooking (to achieve a mild level of heat - that all at the table can stand), but can also be added at the table by those individuals who prefer things "the hotter, the better"!

It is also great on eggs or sprinkled on grilled veggies.
Use it anywhere that you would use salt.

[sauceplate]

For a meatloaf that stays moist, a 80% meat to 20% fat ratio is the generally accepted formula.

Some cooks use 30% fat, but there is a fine line between juicy and greasy. This is the reason most cooks choose ground chuck, since it has this ideal fat to meat proportion.

By adding finely diced or puréed aromatic vegetables to your mixture, you are adding additional moisture into the meatloaf. Not only does this make your final product juicier, but it also adds lots of extra flavour.


If fact, you can add bacon and eggs to the recipe to give it a breakfast taste.

[trevorbussies]

I feel like the carrot may over-complicate this recipe- although I'm definitely going to try it. Adding bacon & eggs is just craziness! Should I beat the eggs & add just as I would to lasagna?

[caviarstar2011]

That I have prepared and the link you provide is also good one.

[ChristinaLogan]

The recipe is something new for me because I am used to converting meat loaf into some other ingredients. But with the recipe, steamed meat loaf resulted. Great combination. Healthy as well.

[mtbinary]

Carrots in meatloaf? Outrageous! (going to try it though!) I'll tell the kids it is a special kind of cheese...

[yocona]