Meat Loaf

This American staple gets a bad reputation.  If you analyze meat loaf (meatloaf) as an effective human staple... I would put it up against tamales and beans+rice.

• Delivery system for a good mix of proteins, fats, and carbs
• Cost-effective
• Flexible ingredient list
• Scaleable
• Low effort

Today, we are using Alton Brown's recipe, with a bacon-related twist.

Ingredients for the loaf:

• 1 small bag of Italian croutons
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 3 cloves garlic
• salt
• pepper
• chili powder
• thyme
• 1 pack of ground chuck (20% fat)
• 1 pack of ground turkey (7% fat)
• 6 strips of bacon
• 1 egg

Ingredients for the glaze:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• cumin
• Worcestershire sauce
• hot pepper sauce

Process the dry ingredients (croutons and spices).

Next, process the veggies (garlic, carrot, onion & red bell pepper).

Then, Process the meat blend.  If you need to mingle the meat (15% average fat content is the target), now is the time.

  

Mix the dry ingredients, mangled veggies, and blended meat.  Also, add the egg.

Line your loaf pan with bacon (finally!).  Transfer the meat mix into a loaf pan, temporarily. This is for shape only!  

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and plop the loaf on it.  Put everything into the oven at 325 F (163 C).

While the loaf is cooking, we will build the glaze.  Put ketchup, W-sauce, hot sauce, and cumin into your meaty mixing bowl.  Stir vigorously.

After the loaf has been cooking for 10-15 minutes, pull it from the oven and spread on the glaze.  Allow to keep cooking until your probe thermometer reads 155 F (68 C).  Ours took about an hour.