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help with meatloaf

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fishlessman
fishlessman Posts: 32,759
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
the butcher near me makes deli meatloaf. slices it less than 1/8 inch slices on the slicer. how do you get it to stay together like that. is it more bread crumbs, eggs, overworking the burger, any ideas or thoughts
fukahwee maine

you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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Comments

  • Doug in Eggmonton
    Doug in Eggmonton Posts: 1,999
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    The only thought I have is using very finely ground meat should help with the cohiveness. Like sausage but meatloaf ingredients.

    Doug
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,759
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    i could double grind it with the smaller plate on the kitchenaide. wonder if the greasy stuff would be better than the lean for this.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Cpt'n Cook
    Cpt'n Cook Posts: 1,917
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    I have no idea, maybe high fat content and slice it cold?

    Have you tried asking the butcher, when he doesn't have a knife in his hand :laugh:
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  • Aron
    Aron Posts: 170
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    You may have already asked, but is there any chance the butcher would be willing to share his/her recipe with you? If so, then I'm sure it wouldn't take much modification to do it on the egg at home and you'd have a nice proven recipe to begin with. If he/she won't share, my thought would be more filler (bread crumbs and eggs as you mentioned) would make it denser and easier to slice. Also, do you do your meatloaf free-form or in a meatloaf pan? I'd assume you can really pack it down better in a pan and then get the density necessary for a good slice. My final suggestion is to get it nice and cold (perhaps a few minutes in the freezer) just before slicing. None of these suggestions come from any experience, mind you, just what would make sense to me.
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  • Richard Fl
    Richard Fl Posts: 8,297
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    Not as much crackers or bread as you usually use. As mentioned slice cold the next day. This one is great sliced 1/4 thick or so the next day.

    Meatloaf, Richard Fl

    I do them on the small indirect at 325-350F about an hour pulled around 150F.


    100_1936.jpg




    Meatloaves
    2 Lbs. Ground Chuck
    2 Lbs. Ground Round
    3 Whole Eggs
    1 Large Vidalia Onion, Chopped Medium
    10-15 Saltine Crackers, Crushed
    1/2-3/4 Cup Spicy Ketchup
    1/2-3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
    2-3 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
    1-2 Cups Pepper Ridge Farms Herbed Seasoning Stuffing
    1-1 1/2 Pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
    Coarse Peppermill Black Pepper, to taste
    3-4 Strips Bacon, Optional
    Favorite Cheese, Optional
    Sauce, 1 Meatloaf
    1 Cup Spicy Ketchup
    1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
    1/2-3/4 Cup Brown Sugar, Packed
    2-3 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
    1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
    Ground Pepper to taste




    Procedure:
    1 The meat recipe makes 2 nice 10 inch diameter loaves and they are about 1 1/2 - 2 inches thick. The sauce is for one meatloaf. The meat recipe may be halved or the other loaf frozen, which is what I do. Sometimes I will place some cheese slices in the middle of the meat and make a big cheeseburger.
    2 When mixing the meat and other ingredients, mix about 1/3 saltine crackers and 2/3 Pepper Ridge stuffing, do in 1/4 -1/2 cup portions so as not to dry out the mixture.
    3 If using the bacon, lay on top of loaf after the sauce has been added this allows the bacon to get crispy.. I cook over a rack that has a grease catch pan underneath and there by avoid having to deal with removing the grease from a normal loaf pan.
    4 I like the sauce to be thick, if necessary thin with water or more vinegar. Slather all over! Nice to have a little sauce left over, to serve with. Play with the ratios of ketchup and mustard until you reach a point that makes you happy. Enjoy!!


    Yield: 2-2 Pound Loaves

    Recipe Type
    Main Dish, Meat

    Cooking Tips
    Put them on a rack, basket or something that will allow the grease to drip away!

    Recipe Source
    Source: BGE Forum, Richard Fl, 2006/09/05
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,759
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    alot of his business is cooked items, im thinking he might not want to share his recipes. ive tried before on his corning methods for beef and he is fairly ellusve with it, lots of competition between the small butchers in the area. his meatloaf is a little bit too salty for me, the main reason i want to make it myself. he does pack it in a pan, and it slices when its still a little warm.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,759
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    looking at your recipe, maybe the grated cheese would help bind it more.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    1/8" cut is pretty thin. For sandwiches I am guessing we cut about 1/4" and it holds together pretty good. Sometimes it breaks but it doesn't crumble.

    I will have to make a loaf sometime this week and see how well it holds together both warm and cool with thin cuts.

    Rather than bread or stuffing we use saltines. If salt is an issue then use 'salt free'. One sleeve makes about a cup when put in the blender. We blend it as fine as we can, also use small chopped onion and as fine grated cheese as possible.

    GG
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,759
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    when he was slicing it this last friday it was still warm and he said he was going to slice it thicker than normal because of it still being warm. and it was right about an 1/8, would like to see how thin he could get it if it were cold. :laugh: always looking for something to eat cold on the boat, meatloaf is good stuff.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    I really enjoy cold left over meatloaf. Eggs are the binding agent so, guessing, I would try more eggs in the mix you are using. Maybe LC or one of the other chef's will jump in with some 'informed' information. :)

    Meatloaf sandwiches are sounding pretty good. Dang fishlessman, now I have to do some meatloaf sometime this week.

    GG
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  • FSUScotsman
    FSUScotsman Posts: 754
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    I bet that Gorgonzola meatloaf that was posted here a week or so ago might just fit your bill. Lots of cheese might just hold it together very well.
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  • FSUScotsman
    FSUScotsman Posts: 754
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    Another thought, what kind of knife is he using. I would think a serrated edge, like a bread knife, would work well.
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,759
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    he used the deli meat slicer and quickly sliced out a pound. im thinking the cheese will help, maybe cut back on the filler and make up for it with the cheese, more eggs, double ground burger, really mix the meat and pack it into a pan, maybe drill some holes in the pan for the fat to drip out
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • FSUScotsman
    FSUScotsman Posts: 754
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    Let us know because I LOVE meatloaf sandwiches and I really don't need to eat the ones that are and inch thick!!! :laugh:
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  • irishrog
    irishrog Posts: 375
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    A few suggestions.
    Maybe he is pressing the meatloaf, either during cooking, as with a cooked ham, or after cooking, while it is cooling, as with an ox tongue. This would give a very compacted loaf which would be easy to slice.
    He may also be adding some gelatine to the mixture to help it to set, or adding some marrowbone when making the stock, so that the cooked marrow would act as a gelling ahent.
    To press the meatloaf at home, if you put a board onto the top of the cooked loaf, slightly smaller than the size of the cooking tin,and then put some bags of sugar, tins of fruit, or some other weighty products on top, and leave overnight, this will give a compacted product which should be easy to slice. Its not so easy to cook the loaf in a press, I knew an old butcher years ago who boned out his hams, put them in a ham press and steam cooked them. he then left the hams in the press until they were cold, and they were perfect for slicing.
    Greetings from Ireland, Roger
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,759
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    some interesting ideas there, bet that press might work. good thing meatloaf is cheap to experiment with :)
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • loco_engr
    loco_engr Posts: 5,765
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    Fishlessman: I have a dedicated meatloaf pan that fits inside another loaf pan to allow the grease to drain.
    There are 1/8" holes in the bottom along the outer edge.
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    I said to my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' She said, 'I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen.'
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,759
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    thats what i was thinking, so i can use the tasty fatty burger, drill holes in the bottom and set it over a pan. normally i dont use a pan at all in the egg, but with this i think its needed to get it really packed
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    I made a meatloaf from a recipe that said to cook it about halfway in the pan, then take it out of the pan, upside down on the grid.

    Worked quite well, the recipe's in the recipe section here, and no drilling's required. What's more you can have the kitchen all cleaned, including that pan, before the meatloaf is done.

    .
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  • Lake Conroe Egger
    Lake Conroe Egger Posts: 285
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    I tried a recipe from Cooks Illustrated a while back that used powdered unflavored gelatin as a means for substituting beef for veal (collagen rich but expensive). When served hot was like any other meatloaf but did seem to "set" when chilled. I usually do meatloaf free-formed on an inverted cast iron grid. Holds together fine.
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  • BobS
    BobS Posts: 2,485
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    It will never hurt to ask. The secret in his meatloaf may be more in the seasoning than in how to get the meat to bind together for the thin sliciing.

    In general the more you work the meat, the firmer it will be.
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
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    Thanks Richard,
    Looks great, being as I'm sure they would reheat it do you know if when slicing will it hold together??? While I don't mind too much if my meatloaf will not hold together some do. :(

    Thanks,
    Bordello
    Still thinking about the legs in the chicken. :woohoo:
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  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
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    Thanks GG,
    WOW, lots of help coming my way, love this forum.

    Try to stay warm in high country. Were having a little system come through so chilly for us and light rain.

    Regards,
    Bordello
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