On Thu, 27 Dec 2012 11:07:56 -0800, Bob Terwilliger
> wrote:

>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

Interesting. I just can't read Cook's Illustrated, it seems dull. I
guess I need food candy photos to keep me happy.
Janet US