This is a traditional “all-American” meatloaf. There are plenty of other recipes and plenty of other options when making this. But this combination of pork, veal, and beef makes the most flavorful and the best-textured meatloaf I have ever eaten.
Be careful not to over-knead the meatloaf ingredients; doing so will result in a heavy and dense loaf. Use a combination of meat for perfect meatloaf: beef for flavor, veal for tenderness and easy slicing, pork for juiciness.
Ingredients
- 3 slice white bread
- 1 large carrot, roughly chopped
- 1 celery, strings peeled, cut into ½‑inch pieces
- ½ medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves, loosely packed
- ½ cup plus 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 4½ teaspoon teaspoons dry mustard
- 8 ounce ground pork
- 8 ounce ground veal
- 8 ounce ground round
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus more needles for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoon dark-brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small red onion, cut into ¼ inch-thick rings
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove crusts from bread, and place slices in the bowl of a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form, about 10 seconds. Transfer breadcrumbs to a large mixing bowl. Do not substitute dried breadcrumbs in this step, as they will make your meatloaf rubbery.
Place carrot, celery, yellow onion, garlic, and parsley in the bowl of the food processor. Process until vegetables have been minced, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. (Chopping vegetables this way saves time and ensures that vegetables will be small enough to cook through and not be crunchy). Transfer vegetables to bowl with the breadcrumbs.
Add ½ cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons dry mustard, pork, veal, beef, eggs, salt, pepper, Tabasco, and rosemary. Using your hands, knead the ingredients until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. The texture should be wet, but tight enough to hold a free-form shape.
Set a wire baking rack into an 11-by-17-inch baking pan. Cut a 5‑by-11-inch piece of parchment paper, and place over center of rack to prevent meatloaf from falling through. Using your hands, form an elongated loaf covering the parchment.
Alternatively, you could put the meat into a loaf pan, but I like the crust that forms all over from this method.
Place the remaining 3 tablespoons ketchup, remaining 2 ½ teaspoons mustard, and brown sugar in a bowl. Mix until smooth. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the glaze over loaf.
Add oil to a medium saucepan set over high heat. When oil is quite hot, but not yet smoking, add red onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion is soft and golden in places. Add 3 tablespoons water, and cook, stirring, until most of the water has evaporated. The onions should be jammy. Transfer them to a bowl to cool slightly, then sprinkle onion over the meatloaf (this step is optional).
Bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes, then sprinkle rosemary needles on top. Continue baking loaf until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees; about 25 minutes more. Let meatloaf cool on rack, 15 minutes.
You know how it is with meatloaf: everyone loves their mother’s, and their mother’s is different from everyone else’s. However, my mom used the same meat ingredients that you use. She didn’t include all those exotic extras, however. I’m really eager to try yours, though, because it sounds like my mom’s ramped up a couple levels.
I call them Jerusalem Artichokes and I love them.
What a unique idea for using them. I made a scalloped vegetable dish with Brie and carrots and mushrooms and smoked salt. Will be posting that soon.
love the blog,
That souffle looks to die for delicious. I have been so busy cooking, everything has been on hold. I only get home to crawl into bed, but have been itching to get back into cooking, and this looks like a good way to break the cooking fast.
Ahha! So those are sunchokes! I see them at the market here in Nantes all the time and had no idea what they were (slaps forehead). And I love soufflés and making soufflés (I’m the egg white girl). This is one fabulous recipe. Beautiful soufflé!
that a souffle was a move that the “Masked Avenger” used in professional wrasslin’
Looks great, Greg. I haven’t been brave enough to try one yet but your step by step guide makes me think I should give it a try.
What a terrific idea! I’ve roasted sunchokes and fried them but have never thought to make a souffle! It sounds just perfect!
I just bought some of these at the market today, I have yet to decide what do so with them, but this may be the winner. Either way, if I don’t make this now I will definitely be making it some other time.
I would have never thought to put sunchokes in a souffle. I usually use it in a soup or as a puree. Great job, and the souffle looks great.
What a gorgeous souffle Greg. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a sunchoke, so I’ve learned so much here. I totally agree with you about using a folding motion to incorporate the egg whites in the mixture. If only I lived next door and could come over for a little taste.…
Sam
The souffle looks delicious. From the photo the texture looks perfect. I haven’t experimented with sunchokes yet, but now I want to!
I wouldn’t think to put sunchokes in a souffle! But somehow that sounds like it could be quite tasty.
My favorite paring with sunchokes is black truffle oil, and I’d imagine that a few drops would add to the flavors in this souffle.
I think you are right. A few drops of truffle oil could go all the way! Only a few drops though. That stuff can be so insidious. You know there is nothing natural or even vaguely related to truffles in truffle oil. It is a trick of chemistry mixed with olive oil. No truffles involved (really I promise), but it can add a heady indulgence. GREG
Hi, come on over to my blog and see your Over the Top award. While you don’t have to feel compelled to give out other Over the Top awards, I just wanted to recognize how much I love your blog.
Wow…it looks absolutely gorgeous! I never would have even imagined using Jerusalem Artichokes in a souffle…how unique! You never fail to inspire me 😀
Oh wow. That souffle looks great. I definitely one of those that are intimidated in making souffles of any kind. I’m so much better at eating. But I I did make a promise to myself early this year to try out. When that time will be I do not know.