Classic Glazed Meatloaf

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Small skillet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the panade

   Tear the bread into rough pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Pour the milk over top and let it soak for five minutes. The bread should absorb most of the milk and become a soft, almost paste-like mixture. Use a fork to mash it into a smooth consistency. This panade is your insurance policy against dry meatloaf.

   Stale bread works even better than fresh. It absorbs the milk more readily and breaks down into a smoother paste.
2. 2

   Sauté the aromatics

   Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about five minutes. Add the garlic during the final minute. You want fragrance, not color. Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes. Raw onion makes meatloaf bitter and crunchy. Cooked onion melts into the background where it belongs.

3. 3

   Build the meat mixture

   Add the ground beef, cooled onion mixture, beaten eggs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley to the bowl with the panade. Mix with your hands until everything is just combined. Stop the moment you no longer see streaks of white from the panade. Overworking develops the proteins and creates a dense, tough loaf. Gentle hands make tender meatloaf.

   Cold hands work best. Run them under cold water before mixing if needed. The fat in the beef should stay cold until it hits the oven.
4. 4

   Form the loaf

   Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Turn the meat mixture onto the center and shape it into a rectangular loaf about nine inches long, five inches wide, and three inches tall. Smooth the top and sides with damp hands. A free-form loaf on a sheet pan allows heat to circulate on all sides, creating more of that caramelized exterior everyone fights over.

5. 5

   Make the glaze

   Whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and dry mustard in a small bowl until smooth. The balance should be sweet and tangy with a whisper of heat from the mustard. Taste it. Adjust if needed. You'll use this glaze twice, so make sure you approve of its flavor before it goes on the loaf.

6. 6

   First glaze and bake

   Preheat your oven to 350°F. Brush about half of the glaze evenly over the top and sides of the meatloaf, reserving the rest. Place the sheet pan on the center rack and bake for 45 minutes. The kitchen will start to smell like the reason you came home.

7. 7

   Second glaze and finish

   Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush on the remaining glaze. The first layer will have set into a tacky coating. This second application builds depth and that lacquered appearance that makes people reach for their forks. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F and the glaze has caramelized to a glossy, mahogany finish.

8. 8

   Rest before slicing

   Transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board and let it rest for ten minutes. This isn't optional. The juices need time to redistribute. Slice into thick portions, about one inch each, using a sharp chef's knife. Serve immediately with mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, or whatever your family expects alongside a proper meatloaf.

   Save the drippings left on the sheet pan. They make an outstanding base for gravy if you prefer sauce over glaze.

Chef Tips

• •An 80/20 ground beef blend provides the ideal fat content. Leaner meat dries out. Fattier meat leaves too much grease on the pan. The ratio matters.
• •For a more complex flavor, substitute half a pound of the beef with ground pork. The pork adds sweetness and the mixed fats create a silkier texture. This was standard practice in my grandmother's kitchen.
• •A meatloaf thermometer takes all guesswork out of doneness. Insert it into the thickest part of the loaf. At 160°F, you're done. Below that, you're not.
• •Cold meatloaf sandwiches on soft white bread with a smear of mayonnaise and perhaps a few bread-and-butter pickles represent one of America's finest contributions to the sandwich canon. Plan your leftovers accordingly.
• •Pair with a medium-bodied red: a California Zinfandel or an honest domestic Merlot. Nothing fancy. This is comfort food.

Advance Preparation

• •The meat mixture can be assembled, shaped, and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Add 10 minutes to the initial baking time if baking directly from cold.
• •Fully cooked meatloaf refrigerates beautifully for up to 4 days. Reheat thick slices in a 325°F oven for 15 minutes, covered loosely with foil to prevent drying.
• •Leftover meatloaf freezes well for up to 2 months. Slice before freezing for easier thawing and reheating.
• •The glaze can be made several days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before brushing onto the loaf.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 220g)