I haven't written here in a very long time, but recently I noticed how many fine folks stop by looking for answers about glorious meatloaf.

I am going to take the time to update more often, but I'd like to hear from everyone who stops by.

What would you like to see?

Just to get you started, here is a photo I took with a bad camera in early 2007 at Zak's Diner in Ottawa, Canada.

A couple of years ago Kate sent in a story about Frosted Meatloaf and how she learned about it through the Betty Crocker Cookbook for Boys & Girls and wished her mother would make it for her birthday.

Yesterday, by some random chance, I stumbled upon a facsimile edition of the 1957 issue of this cookbook and managed to snap a photo of the meatloaf tips page.

For those with bad eyesight, here is a transcription:

Things You Can Do With Meatloaf

Hot Topper
Spread 3 tablespons of catsup or chili sauce over top of loaf before baking.

Tuckaway
When forming loaf, tuck in 3 hard-cooked eggs along the center.

Frosted
When loaf is baked, frost the top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika and broil until golden.

Baby Beefies
Shape meat loaf mixture into 8 small loaves and lay in shallow pan. Top each baby loaf with a thin slice of onion. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

"Meat loaf that is left over makes the most wonderful sandwiches!" - Bucky

This is such an awesome quote!

Awhile back, Linda requested I post Gordon Ramsay's meatloaf recipe from the episode of the UK series of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares in which he helps Mama Cherri. To be honest, I scoured the interweb and had no luck finding it. Recently, a visitor named Marcus posted the recipe as a comment. Here it is in its entirety:

Gordon Ramsay's Meatloaf

50g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely sliced
1 green pepper, finely chopped
4 spring onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
125ml evaporated milk
125ml tomato ketchup
750g minced beef
250g minced pork or sausage meat
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
250g breadcrumbs
Freshly ground salt and pepper

1 Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the onion, celery, pepper, spring onions, garlic, parsley, chilli sauce, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Cook over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes.

2 Add the evaporated milk and ketchup and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Discard the bay leaves.

3 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.

4 Place the beef and pork in a large bowl, add the eggs, breadcrumbs and vegetable mixture, and season. Place the mixture in an ungreased roasting dish and bake for 25 minutes. Raise the temperature to 200C/Gas 6 and bake
for a further 35-40 minutes.

5 Serve from the roasting dish.

I know, I know... It has been a very long time.

Sorry.

Life changes have a way of impacting writing schedules.

Anyway, Happy belated Birthday!!!

Meatcake!

I am so excited. My friends Billy Luv and his partner RockStar have been tempting me for a long time with the idea of my Christmas present from last year. They kept telling me that is was so good, but I would have to wait a while before getting it.

I still haven't gotten it, but it is waiting for me at their place. They did tell me what it was. And so, I am excited.

It is a meat grinder! Yup, my own meat grinding machine. Now I can grind my own cuts of meat for meatloaf!!

Back around Jan. 7th, JOR! posted his mom's meatloaf recipe. Since Sami Lama requested it, here it is reposted for everyone's enjoyment and edification.

Meat Loafs (Loaves?)

1 1/2 pounds hamburger
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup milk

Sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp prepared mustard

1. Make 6 small loaves (must be round, not square) - cover with sauce, on top only, of course.
2. Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Pretty simple and straight forward and oh so delicious. These meat pucks, and I mean that in the most flattering of ways, are 'old-school exceptional' on my meatloaf scale.

So, dear 'loaflings, I have been silent for too long. Yes, it is an excuse you have all heard before and I don't know what to say. I seem to have fallen into a long winter of meatloaf hibernation. My juices aren't flowing and I haven't baked a loaf in quite some time.

However, a couple of recent events of note:

1) A month or so ago, at one of the many irregular meetings of VGC, Jor! (yes, the exclamation is warranted) served his mother's homestyle recipe. And what a tastey treat, well worth the trip to Stayner or just over to Jor!'s for a bite. Hopefully, I will post the recipe here soon.

2) I have recently become addicted to Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. If you haven't seen this show you don't know what you are missing. Watching Gordon Ramsay, one of England's better chefs, go into nightmarish professional kitchens and basically swear at everyone until they cook better is brilliant TV. "How does this relate to meatloaf?", you say. Well, check out episode 3 of season 2, Momma Cherri's Soul Food Shack for Gordon making, what I can only imagine, are the world's tastiest meatloaf tapas.

3) Stumbling through the interweb, you often come across the craziest of things. People with time and energy can accomplish anything. Like this woman, Sonya Thomas. She is ranked second in the world by The International Federation of Competitive Eating. In 2004, she ate 8.4 lbs of baked beans in 2 minutes and 47 seconds and she is only 105 lbs soaking wet. According to the IFOCE, she is the great American hope in toppling the dominance of the Japanese in the annals of competitive eating lore. One can only hope they add meatloaf to the list.

Anyway, that's it for me. Don't forget, please email me any meatloaf news, reviews or sitings to meatloafisfine@gmail.com