Lynn's Basic Meatloaf

Alton Brown's excellent tutorial on meatloaves is at:

The Method to This Meatloaf Madness.

The following recipe is for basic, generic meatloaf.  It will have a pleasant, mild flavor and a firm but course texture.

Lynn's Basic Meatloaf

1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBS butter

1 lb ground pork (fatty is good)
1 lb ground veal   (If you can't find it on sale, instead use an extra pound of ground beef or pork & an extra egg)
1 lb ground sirloin beef
1 lb ground beef (cheap and fatty)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
    or for low carb meatloaf, run a low carb tortilla through the blender
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS fish sauce (optional)
1 egg
1/4 cup red table wine

Preheat oven to 450°F.  Sauté the onion, celery, pepper and garlic in butter over medium heat until tender.  Let cool. 

Meanwhile, line a large shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil.  Grease the foil with fat. 

Add all remaining ingredients to the cooled vegetables.   Using your hands, mix everything together well.  Dump the meat mixture onto the roasting pan and form into a loaf, patting to remove air bubbles. 

Center the probe of a thermometer in the meatloaf and place in the 450°F oven.  After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 325°F.   Remove the meatloaf from the oven, when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (~ 1 hr 15 min). *

Place the meatloaf in a warm place (maybe on top of the oven).   Cover the meatloaf with aluminum foil and then a dry towel to keep it warm.   Let sit undisturbed for at least one hour before serving.

Serves 8-10.  Leftover meatloaf is great for sandwiches or reheated for another meal.

* If you do not have a digital thermometer with a remote probe - consider getting one.  They are one of the important items in a kitchen.  With a thermometer, you can get consistent results when cooking meats.

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