Meatloaf
Meatloaf combines ground beef with sauteed onion, breadcrumbs, egg, and Worcestershire sauce, pressed into a loaf pan and topped with a ketchup glaze before baking at 180 degrees Celsius for 50 to 55 minutes. The breadcrumbs absorb and hold moisture, preventing the loaf from drying out, while Worcestershire sauce deepens the savory flavor. Pre-cooking the onion and letting it cool before mixing removes excess moisture that would otherwise make the mixture too wet. Minimal handling is important - overworking the meat compacts the proteins and produces a tough texture. The ketchup glaze caramelizes in the oven to form a sweet-salty crust. Resting the meatloaf for at least 10 minutes after baking lets the internal juices redistribute so the slices hold together cleanly.
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Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 180C and line a loaf pan with parchment.
- 2
Finely chop onion, sauté for 3 minutes, and cool.
- 3
Mix beef, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire sauce, and salt.
- 4
Press mixture into the pan and spread ketchup over the top.
- 5
Bake 50-55 minutes, then rest 10 minutes before slicing.
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