Meatloaf with a Tangy Glaze

Confession: I've never really been a fan of meatloaf...or anything combining a protein and loaf, really. I can trace the roots of this to my summer vacations growing up. My grandmother, Geema as we all called her, liked to ease the cooking load on our yearly vacations by freezing a myriad of "make-ahead" loaves, and bringing them with her to serve for dinners. God bless her. Her heart was in the right place. But those loaves...the memories of being made to eat them and pretend we liked them will never be forgotten. My siblings, cousins, and I have never been able to agree on our least favorite. Salmon loaf? Ham loaf? Meatloaf? And we'll laugh about it forever. Thanks, Geema! I promise we loved the zucchini bread and spice bread (both acceptable loaf-pan uses). :)

So when I was a young newlywed and my husband asked if I knew how to make meatloaf, I pushed back hard. I don't do loaf! And along came America's Test Kitchen to save the day. Again. If I haven't mentioned it before, which I have, their recipes are great. It's now the meatloaf recipe my mom uses too. Changing family history, one loaf at a time. 

The things I like about this particular meatloaf: 

• It's baked free-form, so it doesn't bake in it's own grease and has a fully glazed exterior. 
• It's not spongy from too much bread added to the mix.
• It's not dense, like a brick.
• The glaze is more complex and tasty than just brushing ketchup on top

All that said, if you already love meatloaf I hope you like this one too. If you are on the fence or totally against it, I'm hoping this recipe makes you a believer. Enjoy!

Meatloaf with a Tangy Glaze
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

Glaze:

• 1/2 c ketchup
• 1/4 c packed light brown sugar
• 4 tsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Tabasco sauce

Meatloaf:

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 2/3 c panko bread crumbs
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork

Directions:

1. With the oven rack in the middle position, preheat to 350 degrees. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. Mix until combined. Set aside.
3. Heat oil to med hi heat in a small skillet. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, stirring until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. 
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and Tabasco together.
5. To the egg mixture bowl, add ground beef and pork, panko crumbs, and sauteed onion mixture. Combine until mixed evenly (honestly, the fastest/easiest way is to just start mixing it with your hands...dig in!) and the mix doesn't stick to the bowl. If it is sticking, add a little bit more milk at a time until it no longer sticks.
6. Empty the meat mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet and shape into a 9x5 inch loaf shape. Brush top and sides with half the ketchup mixture. Bake for 45 minutes.
   
    
7. Brush the loaf again with remaining half of ketchup mixture and bake for about 15 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. 
8. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving. 
9. The fat that cooks off during baking and pools around the base of meatloaf is easily pushed away to the edges of the pan with a spatula after baking. Then you can easily slice and transfer meatloaf to a serving platter.