How to Make: Meatloaf à la mode

  

The school season has started, and time is not so plentiful as it was in the summer!  So when time is scarce, I try to make a dish that can last two or even three days.  Meatloaf is a good one to make.
It can be eaten with rice, in a sandwich or just as it is.
       Meatloaf is a common dish in English speaking nations such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, and the United States.  Everybody has their own recipes, so I did some research on a few recipes and I saw some interesting techniques that were used such as using potato chips, mashed potatoes, heavy cream, cheese, ground almonds, yoghurt, sour cream, a whole bunch of others.  I personally find that when all of these ingredients are added, it dilutes the taste of the meat, and it ends up tasting like soggy dense bread.  Breadcrumbs are common in meatloaf, but I use Panko, which are Japanese breadcrumbs.  They are much lighter and airier than italian-style breadcrumbs.  This prevents the meatloaf from having a dry and grainy texture.  The idea of adding some hard boiled egg in the middle was an idea I stole from Nigella Lawson's meatloaf recipe, but the actual meatloaf recipe is my own.  The eggs in the middle of the meatloaf makes it so appealing, especially when it is cut.  The bacon wrapped around the loaf makes it even so flavourful because it creates a crisp crust around the juicy meatloaf.
       This meatloaf is one worth trying!  It's very appealing and easy.  I've provided both imperial and metric measurements in the recipe, the imperial is on the right side and the metric measurements are on the left side.  This recipe can be doubled or halved if want to change the serving size.  If doubling the recipe add another 20 minutes in the oven.  If cutting the recipe in half, reduce the cooking time by 15 min.

Click on the description below to buy Panko.  Panko should not be hard to find, it is widely available in both Asian supermarkets and Western supermarkets.
Panko Breadcrumbs on Amazon.


Meatloaf à la mode (with eggs)
By Kubeen81 Recipes
Yields:  4 people
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 55-60 minutes

Ingredients:

450 gm of Freshly ground beef (1/2lb)
1 onion diced
40 gm of Panko (1/3 cup)
30 mL of oil (2 tbsp)
15 mL of Ketchup (1 tbsp)
15 mL of Oyster or Worcestershire sauce (1 tbsp)
2 egg, beaten
2 eggs hard boiled eggs.
4-6 strips of bacon
Pinch of dried chili flakes
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of pepper

For the glaze:
45 mL of Ketchup (3 tbsp)
15 mL of Oyster or Worcestershire Sauce (1 tbsp)

Preparation:

1.)  In a pan that is over medium heat, add in the 2 tbsp of oil.

2.)  When the the pan is hot, add in the diced onions.

3.)  Add a pinch of salt and sauté until soft and caramelised, about 10 min.


Method:

1.) Preheat the oven to 200 C/ 400 F.

2.)  In a bowl add the ground beef, cooled sauteed onions, beaten egg, cayenne pepper, chili flakes, salt, pepper, ketchup and Oyster/Worcestershire sauce.

3.) Mix lightly.

4.)  Add in the panko breadcrumbs, folding gently and not mixing too much.

5.)  On a baking tin/sheet, place 1/2 of the mixture on the pan and shape it into an oval shape, around 3 cm (1 1/2 inch) thick.

6.) Make a well in the centre and add in the two hard boiled eggs.  Cover the eggs with the remaining meat mixture, making sure that it seals the eggs completely.

7.)  Wrap around with bacon slices completely, (you may need to cut them in half if they are too long.  Tuck them underneath the meatloaf to prevent it from curling up too much.

8.)  Bake it in the oven for 50-55 min.

9.)  During the last 10 minutes, mix the ketchup and oyster/worcestershire sauce in a bowl, and pour over the meatloaf.  This will make it nice and shiny.

Let it rest for 10 minutes and then....Cut and serve!

Tips:

**Be sure not to overmix the meat otherwise you get a very tough chewy texture.

**The meat should have an internal temperature of 71 degrees C and the juices should run clear when stabbed with a knife.

**The bacon on the outside should be almost completely crispy before the ketchup glaze is added because otherwise, the bacon will braise and become very soft, not crispy.

**Cut the meatloaf into thick slices so that every slice has a slice of egg in it.

** The oyster sauce is a Chinese ingredient, but it makes the meat so much richer.  Worcestershire sauce is a good sauce too, but it is a Western ingredient.

It looks so pretty with the egg!

Hello Egg!

Best eaten warm.