Mad Men Dinner: Meatloaf
I had this grand idea of hosting Mad Men dinners on Sunday nights- my friends would come over, we’d eat early 60s style dinner and drink cocktails, and then watch the show.
And then I realized that my friends who watch Mad Men are internet friends- I talk about it so much with them I have weirdly blurred my realities. Oh well, luckily for me, my man and my sister watch the show, and that’s enough for my entertainment AND we have the bonus of leftovers.
Mad Men Meal #1 was a simple execution: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and sauteed zucchini and squash. It’s a favorite in my house, as it was when I was growing up. I know, however, that meatloaf is a very personal thing- you either love it or you hate it, you either eat it with gravy (which we called Salisbury Steak instead) or a ketchup topping. More than likely, if you do like it, you probably favor your mother’s way of doing things. But perhaps your mother never made it, or you didn’t like it as a kid? Give it another try (unless you’re a vegetarian I guess)- I think it’s a great staple for the home cook to perfect. It’s an economical way to stretch a meal, and people are often comforted if you serve it to them (casually, of course) on a chilly night. To watch Mad Men, for instance. AHEM.
This meatloaf is adapted from my mother’s, but with a bit of updating.
Ingredients
- 1 TB butter or oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped fine
- 3 stalks celery, chopped fine
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 pounds ground meat* (I go for what’s on sale, but a combination of beef, pork, and veal is pretty good, though this one is all beef cause that’s what was on sale- it’s meatloaf!)
- 1 sleeve of Saltines, or 1.5 c oats or breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- a few splashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1 c ketchup
- salt and pepper
- any variety of dried herbs that you like with meat- some use oregano, basil, or parsley. I usually go for just parsley- about 2 tsp.
- a few tablespoons of milk if needed
- 1/2 c ketchup (again)
*You can use lean meat here- ground sirloin, lean pork, even ground turkey if mixed with another meat. But you will be missing the fat that would keep the loaf moist- so consider experimenting with more milk/egg/ketchup.
Make it
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Heat butter or oil in a medium sized skillet. Add celery, onions, and garlic and sautee until tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. While the vegetables cool, put all the rest of the ingredients (except for the milk and second ketchup measurement) into a large bowl.
4. Mix it all up with your hands. Add the cooled sauteed vegetables.
5. If your mixture seems too dry (it should stick together like when you form meatball-sized balls), add a few TB of milk.
6. Form into a loaf and place in a baking dish. You don’t want to fill the whole thing because you’re going to need room for the fat to collect, and you don’t want that grease re-forming back into your loaf.
7. Spoon the remaining ketchup on the top and sides of the loaf.
8. Cover with foil and bake 1 hour.
9. Remove foil to allow the ketchup to carmelize, continuing to bake another 20-30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should come out at about 160 degrees F.
10. Drain off any excess fat.
