Meatloaf 😋
Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat mixed with other ingredients, formed into a loaf shape, then baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on a flat baking pan.[1]Meatloaf is usually made from ground beef, although lamb, pork, veal, venison, poultryand seafood are also used.
The meatloaf has European origins; meatloaf of minced meat was mentioned in the famous Roman cookery collection Apicius as early as the 5th century. Meatloaf is a traditional German, Scandinavian and Belgian dish, and it is a cousin to the Dutch meatball.
American meatloaf has its origins in scrapple, a mixture of ground pork and cornmeal served by German-Americans in Pennsylvania sinceColonial times. However, meatloaf in the contemporary American sense did not appear in cookbooks until the late 19th century.
Loaves or patties of minced meat have been utilized for centuries. In Medieval Europe bits and pieces of meat were finely diced and combined with seasonings, fruits, and nuts.
Meatloaf in America can be traced back to the Pennsylvanian Dutch via the 1700s. These settlers would utilize as much of the pig as possible – lungs, liver, heart, etc. – and the meat would be combined with cornmeal and seasonings, and pressed into a loaf shape.
Three things really advanced meatloaf as an iconic American dish: the invention of the meat grinder, and advancements in refrigeration, both in the mid 1800s, and the Great Depression, which was of course during the 1930s.
Prior to the meat grinder, meat had to be minced by hand. Usually this was done with a wooden bowl and a curved knife and it was laborious and tedious. The meat grinder solved this problem as it became commercially accessible. Today, most people don’t own a meat grinder, but it’s a moot point now as packaged minced meat is widely available.
Also in the mid to late 1800s, refrigeration was making headway. Between the meat grinder and the refrigerator, enjoying meatloaf at home was becoming a cinch. Recipes for meatloaf soon followed.
One of the first, if not the first, printed meatloaf recipe was in 1884 in the Boston Cooking School Cook Book. It was for a veal loaf and meat souffle – veal was often used instead of beef, because it was more economical at the time. Of course today we can use beef, pork, veal, or any combination therein.
When the Depression hit, meatloaf popularity soared for obvious reasons. One, it was economical, being able to utilize tough cuts of meat; fillers could also be added to stretch the serving amount. Two, it was a warm, filling comfort food when people really needed some comfort.
Our recipe for today is : meatloaf !
Ingredients:
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup 2% milk
2/3 cup finely crushed saltines
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
Dash pepper
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into an 8x4-in. loaf in an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan.
In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar; remove 1/2 cup for sauce. Spread remaining mixture over meat loaf.
Bake 60-65 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved sauce. Yield: 6 servings.
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