Meat Loaf!

Why do people make this so hard?

Meatloaf is another classic comfort food.  Mine needs to be served with mashed potatoes and brown gravy.  I get my brown gravy from a packet but make the potatoes fresh.  I never put a ketchupy glaze on mine until I got married.  The wife's idea of comfort 'loaf had the glaze.  I tried it and don't mind it at all.  At least it is better than those heathens who put ketchup on their 'loaf. (Unless you are one of those heathens -- in which case rock on!)

Meat loaf starts with ground meat, adds a filler, a binder and some veggies.  The variations are endless.  I use Ritz crackers for the filler, egg for the binder and onions alone for the veggie.  Let us begin.


You'll need;

For the loaf...

• 1# Ground Sirloin
• 1# Ground Beef (I use 90/10)
• 1 smallish onion (chopped)
• 1 full sleeve of Ritz crackers (2 of their new small ones)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

For the glaze...

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 4-5 dashes Tabasco (or Sriracha)
• 2 Tbsp agave nectar (or honey)

Preheat your oven to 400F.
 
In a large bowl use your hands to combine all of the meatloaf ingredients.  Really get in there and mix 'em up.  Try not to let the mess get too far up your arms. I find it helpful to precrush the Ritz as they are added to the bowl.

Wash up and prepare a loaf pan by spraying cooking spray into it.  You *can* form the loaf by hand, but I'm a fan of the pan method -- it looks less like a bloody Tribble at the end.

Pack the meat into the pan making sure that the meat gets deep into the corners.  You can use a butter knife or chopstick to let the air pockets out of the corners.

Spray a cookie sheet or other pan with cooking spray.  Use a butter knife to detach the meat from the sides of the loaf pan.

Place the sheet over the loaf pan, hold them together and invert.  Tap around the pan to help release the loaf.

Pull off the loaf pan and your formed loaf is ready to pop into the oven.

Bake for 10- 15 minutes to create a crust.

Maybe I took it out early....

While the crust is forming mix together the glaze ingredients to create the (wait for it...) glaze.

Reduce the temp to 350F.  Remove the loaf and brush/ spoon on the glaze.  Try not to let too much slough off the loaf and pool on the pan because you are just going to have to scrub it off later.

Insert a probe thermometer into the center of the loaf and return it to the cooler oven.

Cook until center is 155F -- with ground beef you really don't want a lesser number.  This will probably take 50 minutes or so.

Remove and rest for 10 min while you prep the mashed potatoes and brown gravy that you are going to serve it with.

Slice and serve!

Hamburger Stroganoff

The 50's called, they want their entree back.

Welcome to AMC's presentation of "Guilty Pleasures."  I'll be your host, Guy Devlin.  Just kidding.  About Guy Devlin.  This is really about guilty pleasures and hamburger stroganoff is one of mine.  I have a funny story about that.

One time the wifey and I were supposed to bring a dish to this potluck thing over at TN's house.  We had done something earlier in the day and had only a half hour to make a dish.  I thought "Stroganoff" and we checked the fridge.  No luck.  We had the hamburger, but nothing else.  We did, however, have a box of Hamburger Helper (stroganoff flavor) in the pantry.  We made that (following the complex directions fully) and put it in our best casserole dish.  The one with the matching lid and metal handle/rack.  We finished with a fancy serving spoon and hit the party.  After setting the dish on the table we grabbed some wine and told the host of our deception.  The three of us watched, stunned, as people served themselves and even raved to us about the tastiness of our dish.  Such heathens...

The point is that everyone likes hamburger stroganoff.  Mine is much better than Hamburger Helper, mine is adapted from a 1950's Betty Crocker recipe replete with Campbell's soup product placement.  Now before you roll your eyes let me remind you of the second rule in the kitchen -- don't f**k with comfort food.

You'll need;

• 1 lb hamburger
• 1/2 an onion (diced)
• 4-6 oz white mushrooms (sliced/chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced) (I used an inch from the squeeze tube)
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 Tbsp flour (Gold Medal no doubt)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup*
• 1/2 Tbsp minced parsley
• 10-12 oz egg noodles
• 2/3 cup of sour cream

* D thinks this stuff is evil --and it *is* salty-- so a substitute is provided at the end of the post.


Start your pasta water cuz this thing comes together pretty quick.

Saute the onions and garlic over med-hi heat with the butter.

After 2 minutes, add the mushrooms.

After 2 more minutes add the meat.  Brown the meat and break it up.

Once the meat is nearly browned, add the flour, pepper, and half the salt.  You only add the second half at the end if it is needed. Cook a couple minutes while stirring the flour in.

Start your pasta.

Reduce the heat to med-lo and add the soup. Believe it or not, you are going to deglaze the pan with the soup.  Scrape the bottom as you stir completely.  Cook for a couple more minutes.

Ready the sour cream and (you guessed it) stir it in.  Heat for (you guessed it again) a couple of minutes.

If at this point your mixture is just too thick you should cut it with a bit of water.  I never have.  For some reason this dish is best when it is just a hair too thick. Sprinkle in half the parsley.  The other half is for garnish.  You can also garnish with a dollop of sour cream. (I always wanted to squeeze in a bit of lemon here, but I figure  Betty herself would throw a potholder at my head for trying it)

Drain the noodles and portion them out into bowls or onto plates.  Top with the meat mixture and garnish.

Hot Meal Time Machine!

Alright! Quit your shouting.  I see here that you object to the use of canned soup in a home recipe.  Here's what I would do if forced to make this without.  I would substitute 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/4 cup white wine for the soup.  I would also up the flour to 2 or 3 Tbsp.  However, this would also require you to reduce the liquid by at least half (to thicken) and that extra braising of the meat might make this dish kinda crappy. It would also take 10 minutes longer.  Bah! Bring on the soup.