Janet Bostwick wrote:

>>> Will you share your recipe? My meatloaf is the plain, middle US
>>> variety. I recently tried Alton Brown's recipe and thought that I
>>> found it too seasoned (maybe salty) for my taste. However, it made
>>> the best darn meatloaf sandwiches. I've heard of putting catsup
>>> (ketchup) on meatloaf while baking, but never heard of it as an
>>> ingredient. I'd like to try it and see.
>>> thanks
>>
>> This is from _The New Basics_
>> (http://www.amazon.com/New-Basics-Coo.../dp/B005M4AB9Y)
>>
>> Market Street Meat Loaf
>>
>> 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
>> 3/4 cup finely chopped onion
>> 3/4 cup finely chopped scallions, white and 3 inches green
>> 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
>> 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
>> 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
>> 1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
>> 2 teaspoons minced garlic
>> 3 eggs
>> Salt, to taste
>> 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
>> 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
>> 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
>> 1 teaspoon ground cumin
>> 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
>> 1/2 cup catsup
>> 1/2 cup half-and-half
>> 2 pounds lean ground beef chuck
>> 12 ounces sausage meat (not fennel-flavored Italian sausage)
>> 3/4 cup fine fresh bread crumbs, toasted
>>
>> Melt the butter in a heavy skillet and add all the vegetables. Cook,
>> stirring often, until the moisture has evaporated from the vegetables,
>> about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate, covered, until
>> chilled, at least one hour.
>>
>> Preheat the oven to 375°F.
>>
>> Put the eggs in a mixing bowl and beat well. Add the salt, black pepper,
>> white pepper, cayenne pepper, cumin, and nutmeg, and beat until
>> well-combined. Add the catsup and half-and-half; blend thoroughly.
>>
>> Add the chuck, sausage meat, and bread crumbs to the egg mixture. Then
>> add the chilled vegetables and mix with your hands, kneading for 5 minutes.
>>
>> With damp hands, form the mixture into an oval 17 x 4 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches
>> -- resembling a long loaf of bread. [HA! Not like any bread *I* ever baked!]
>>
>> Place the meat loaf into a baking dish and place the baking dish inside
>> a larger pan. Place the nested pans into the oven. Pour boiling water
>> into the larger pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
>>
>> Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the water bath
>> and allow the meat loaf to rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
>>
>> [NOTE: I don't bother with the water bath. Sometimes I make this in a
>> loaf pan, other times I use a sheet pan.]
>>
>> Bob
>
> Thank you, Bob. The recipe looks good and I plan to try it after the
> holidays.
> thanks again

You're welcome, but I forgot to put in a refinement I make to the
recipe: Many meat loaf recipes call for ground veal in order to get a
nicer texture because of veal's gelatin content. Cook's Illustrated came
up with the idea of simply blooming unflavored gelatin and adding to the
meat mixture. I add a rounded tablespoon of gelatin to the
half-and-half, stir it, and allow to sit for at least five minutes to
bloom. The gelatin holds on to some of the water and fat, making the
meat loaf moister.

Bob