It was most likely regular ketchup (the sugar) that made the darker crust etc.
I made meatloaf tonight. Never been very successful with meatloaf. Basic recipe but I make my own ketchup because I don't eat high fructose corn syrup anymore. My husband raved. Went on and on. Then he ate half of it which was about 3/4 pound of meat. He wants me to make it often and soon which makes things difficult because I didn't like it.
I have a memory of a darker ketchup crust, tender meat and a different seasoning. No idea of who made it when I was a kid but I want it! I have asked a relative who I thought cooked these things for us but she just kind of shrugged and said she didn't remember it. So now I have to experiment with this and tweak it so it doesn't get ruined completely but hopefully gets closer to what I want without destroying it for my husband. It almost would have been better if I'd tanked and we went out.
It was most likely regular ketchup (the sugar) that made the darker crust etc.
janedoe (12-08-2017)
Someone suggested to me that she remembered her Mom putting sage in her meatloaf. No idea of the amount.
janedoe (12-08-2017)
Did you use all beef, all turkey, or a blend? What percent of fat was in the beef, if you used only ground beef? I generally use Ground chuck (80- 85% fat) or sometimes dark meat ground turkey. Too lean meat will make the meatloaf seem too dry and mixing it too enthusiastically can make it seem dry or tough. OK, I found an article that discusses problems with meatloaf which I'll just attach here and maybe it will help with the tweaks.
Meatloaf
Heinz and Hunts and probably others brands now make ketchup without HFCS. I also sometimes put barbecue sauce on the meatloaf rather than ketchup.
When I was growing up we had meatloaf every Monday. Every. Monday. I was a bit burned out on meatloaf and don't make it too often but my husband enjoys it so once in a while I'll serve one up.
janedoe (12-08-2017)
My first though was what type of meat? We use ground chuck (90%) in our meatloaf at the restaurant, along with eggs, panko and a mix of sautéed onion, thyme, salt and pepper.
janedoe (12-08-2017)
My mom and my sister make wicked meatloaf. I will have to see if I can get their recipes. I normally just ask for some and they make it and send it home with me.
I have been wanting to try making meatloaf in the crockpot though. I see more and more recipes for that lately and looks like an interesting thing to do. It would definitely be tender.
janedoe (12-08-2017)
I used organic 85% ground beef. That part was good and I knew not to over mix. It was tender. However, it was a little mushy which was unpleasant. I used Progresso bread crumbs. Next time I'll try panko. The flavor was just not there either. Maybe it was barbecue sauce on the meatloaf I remember.
I make a good turkey loaf with sage in it. Hadn't heard of using it in beef meatloaf or thyme either. I'll have to try those.
Thanks Jeff. I would love the recipe! I am possibly the least intuitive person in the kitchen ever but I can follow instructions . . .
Meatloaf comes in so many different varieties. The one my parents made when I was a kid had a pound of ground beef, 1/4 pound of ground pork, a cup of oatmeal (instead of bread crumbs or panko), a bit of milk, one egg, chopped onions, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
janedoe (12-09-2017)
Well, you made my husband very happy! I made meatloaf last night after reading your note.
Husband: What inspired you to make meatloaf?
Me: Someone on the Lab board was talking about it. Do you like it?
Husband: I'm eating it, aren't I?
Me: Yeah, but do you like this meatloaf?
Husband: Yeah, I could eat it all! I love meatloaf, I could eat it every day.
Well, that was news to me, I thought if he had a choice he'd eat steak every day. Be that as it may, I'll link to the recipe I used, which as you can see, has a good amount of Worcestershire sauce in it. I was a bit leery of adding that much but I usually make a recipe as written first and then make adjustments, and the 3 tbsp did not seem too much in the final product. We both found it very tasty and I would make it the same way again probably without tweaks. I made him stop eating it in order to have leftovers. BTW, you won't need 6 slices of bread to make 1 cup of bread crumbs. I used the slightly wider slices of Pepperidge Farm Hearty White and 2 slices would have been enough. I dried 4 slices. Here's the recipe I used.
Our Favorite Meatloaf recipe | Epicurious.com
janedoe (12-10-2017)
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