Meatloaf - Basic

This is my "basic"  meatloaf recipe.  My meatloaf is a little different almost every-time I make it.  It all depends on my mood and what I may have in my pantry or what I find at the store. It is easy to tweek this recipe.  You can vary the meat mix by changing any or all types, you can replace a sausage with veal, lamb, or just have one variety.  Remember that the minimum internal temperature for most meat (beef, lamb, pork) is 145F with at least a 3 minute rest and poultry needs 165F.  Feel free to add green and or chili peppers or any other vegetable that can take the heat, yet soften enough,  I don't like my meatloaf to crunch.  I have used shredded carrots and zucchini, fine diced celery, and potatoes.  The oatmeal can be exchanged for other fillers like crackers,potato chips, and bread crumbs. These help with the binding and also absorb some of the moisture and flavor from the vegetables.  I prefer the oatmeal because it does not add salt or flavor to the mix and as a plus makes the dish gluten free.  When making additions or changes the key is the consistency of the loaf.  You want it moist but not soggy. It needs to hold its shape.  If it is too moist usually just add a little more oats. But seriously, a meatloaf is better too moist than too dry!

1 1/2 lb     Ground beef, 80/20

3/4 lb.       Chorizo Sausage

1 lb.          Breakfast Sausage

1               Onion, lg., chopped

1 1/3 c.      Oats, rolled

15 oz.        Tomatoes, canned, diced. drain and reserve liquid.

15 oz.        Tomato Sauce, canned

2                Eggs

2                Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Tbs.        Thyme, dry

1 Tbs.        Salt

1 Tbs.        Black pepper, ground

1 Tbs.        Sage, rubbed

1 1/2 Tsp.  Celery Seed

1/4 c.         Brown Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F with the rack in the center of the oven.  Start with the ground meats in a large bowl.  To that, add all the remaining ingredients but save back 1/2 of the can of Tomato Sauce and the brown sugar.  Now grab a few paper towels and place them next to the bowl.  With clean hands and no jewelry, mix all of the ingredients together. You can use a big spoon or some other method but your hands really do work best.  It will give you a better feel for how the mixture is holding together and if it is moist enough. You want to crumble the meat in your fingers to break it up, don't squeeze the meat.  Add more or the tomato sauce if needed, just save a 1/4 cup or so for the top.  If needed add a little of the reserved liquid from the diced tomatoes.  Form the mixture into a rough ball shape and dump on to a baking pan with sides that you have prepared with cooking spray or rubbed with a little oil.  Now shape into a loaf about 3 inches high with a flat top.  I will make a slight lip around the top of the loaf to contain the sauce.  Now grab the paper towels and clean your hands.  Place the loaf into the center of the oven for 20 minutes.  

Pour the brown sugar into the can with the remaining tomato sauce and and 1 Tbl of the reserved liquid from the diced tomatoes, mix thoroughly.  Open the oven and slide out the loaf.  Pour the sauce over the top of the loaf and spread to cover.  Return the meatloaf to the oven until the temperature in the middle is 150F about another 25 minutes.  Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.  

First the ground meat.

Ready to mix.

Get your hands in.

Shape into a loaf.

Add the sauce to the top.

Slice an serve.

Lazy Beef Vegetable Soup

2 Tbs.     Olive oil

1 1/4 lb.  Beef, Chuck Steak, 1 inch cubes

1 lb.        Beef, Chuck Short Ribs

1 med.    Onion, diced

2 clove   Garlic, minced

1/2 c.      Red wine

1 Tbs.     Black Pepper, ground

29 oz.     Mixed Vegetables, can

15 oz.     Green Beans, can, cut

15 oz.     Turnip Greens, can

15 oz.     Stewed Tomatoes, can, sliced

48 oz.     Vegetable Juice

3             Bay leaves, whole

2 Tbs.     Thyme, dried

1 Tbs.     Rosemary leaves, whole

1             Habanero chile, whole (optional)

I call this "Lazy" because it is minimal prep time and I use a 10 cup pressure cooker.  You can use a regular stock pot but cook time is at least 4 times longer. 

Heat oil in your pot on med-high. It is ready when you see the surface shimmer.   Sear the meat in small batches to avoid crowding the pot.  This keeps the temperature hot and allows steam to escape so a nice brown crust develops faster.  When searing meat it will tell you when it is ready to be turned. Tug gently on the meat if it releases easily from the pot it is ready to be turned, if it fights you, then let it sit awhile longer till it is ready.  Place the seared meat in a dish and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and saute the onions, with a large pinch of salt, till translucent and lightly caramelized.  Add the garlic and stir till fragrant then add the wine to the pot to deglaze.  Be sure to scrape up all the goodness stuck to the pot, this is a lot of flavor!

Return the meat to the pan with the black pepper and toss to combine.  Drain and retain the liquid from the 3 cans of vegetables.  Add all vegetables including the undrained stewed tomatoes to the pot.  Add the vegetable juice til covered, if desired add some of the retained liquid to make more soup.  I do not add much salt to this recipe because the canned vegetables contain so much.  If you use low or no salt/sodium varieties you can adjust the salt to your own taste.  Add the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves to the pot and stir.  The habanero adds a nice flavor to the soup.  If you leave it whole it adds only a little heat,  If you slice it open and remove the seeds, you will have more heat and if you want a lot of heat dice it!  Hint- tie the pepper in a cheese cloth or place it in a tea ball so it can easily be removed before serving.  

I cover pot and cook.  The pressure cooker was set to high heat and pressure. After it came up to pressure it cooked for 35 minutes.  Always follow you manufactures instructions and recommendations.  For a regular stove top stock pot bring soup to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir occasionally and add more liquid if needed.  Cook till meat is fall apart tender, about 2 hours.  When done remember to remove the pepper and all bay leaves!

The beef.

The vegetables.

Olive oil in the pan.

Sear the short ribs.

Small batches of meet.

A little salt for the onions.

Look at the flavor at the bottom.

Deglaze with wine.

Add meat, vegetables and juice

Spices in the pot.

Ready to serve.

Pure comfort!

5 Chile Chili

1 1/2 lb.    Bottom Round Steaks

1 lb.          Pork Shoulder Steaks

2               Onions, medium, diced

3 cloves    Garlic, minced

4-5            Japones Chile Peppers

2               Ancho Chile Peppers

2               Guajillo Chile Peppers

7 oz.         Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, can

4 oz.         Green Chile Peppers, Mild, can

1 c.           Wine

2 Tbs.       Tomato Paste

15 oz.       Tomatoes, crushed

15 oz.       Tomatoes, stewed

16 oz.        Salsa, medium

2 Tbs.        Beef broth concentrate

1 Tbs.        Cumin

2 Tbs.        Chili Powder

Made a chili over the weekend.  This one uses chunks of beef and pork seared then simmered with tomatoes, onions and chile peppers.  Let's get started!  Preheat your oven to 350F.

To begin this is chili and to most that means spicy heat.  I made this one with 5 varieties of chiles. I also tried to keep the heat to a low-medium.  Choosing chile peppers is a matter of personal taste.  I like a little variety to mine. NOTE: the numbers in () are Scoville Heat Units.  For reference, Jalpenos are 2500-8000 SHU and sweet green peppers are 0 SHU.  First I use 4 or 5 Japones (15,000-30,000 SHU) for a little fire.  These peppers don't add much flavor beyond their spicy heat. A 7oz can of Chipotle (2500-8000 SHU) in Adobo sauce for overall mellow heat and complex spice and smoke flavor.  Next 2 Ancho chiles (1000-1500 SHU) for their coffee tinged, earthy sweetness and mild heat. Then 2 Guajillo chile (2500-5000) for its tangy cranberry-like fruitiness, mild heat and subtle smoke flavor. I also added a can of mild green chiles (est. 250-1000 SHU) for added sweetness and bright flavor.  There are so many varieties of chiles available that I have a website bookmarked on my phone that I can use as a reference when shopping. 

http://www.pepperscale.com/hot-pepper-list/

For the meat I found bottom round steak and pork shoulder steak on sale.  The cook time on this dish is so long, almost any inexpensive cut of meat will work.  The longer it cooks the more tender it becomes.  I used about 1 1/2 lb of beef and 1 lb of pork.  I cut these into about 3/4 inch cubes.  Then seared them in about 2 Tbs olive oil in a medium high Dutch oven on the stove top.  Do this in small batches and avoid over crowding the pan.  This keeps the pan hot and lets moisture escape so the meat sears to a nice brown crust faster.   Remove the meat from the pan reduce the heat to medium.

 Add 2 more Tbs olive oil and 2 medium diced onions.  Allow these to soften and begin to brown then add 2 or 3 minced garlic cloves.  Add your dried chile peppers at this time.  I used my kitchen shears to cut-up the peppers right into the pan.  You can cut the stem end off your pepper and shake the seeds out before cutting up the rest of the pepper into 1/8 inch pieces. 

After the peppers are added and the onions well browned I made a well in the middle of the pan and added I  2 oz. of tomato paste.  Smear this around a bit.  You want this to get a bit scorched.  Trust me this adds a lot of flavor!  When the tomato paste is much darkened, mix it into the rest of the pan. 

Next add 1 cup of wine to the pan and scrape all the goodness from the bottom to deglaze.  You can use almost any liquid at this point.  I have made chili with wine, beer even tequila!.  When using beer use any good ale (stay away from stouts, porters or hoppy beers including most lagers as they can be bitter when cooked).   Let the wine (or whatever) reduce down at least 3/4s about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the beef back to the pan along with the beef broth concentrate, followed by the canned tomatoes and chiles.  The final seasoning is cumin, chili powder.  Chili powder is best when purchased fresh from a spice specialty store or when you make it yourself using fresh spices.  Here is a good recipe from the internet.   http://www.food.com/recipe/chili-powder-16892.

After it is all well combined let it come to a slow boil then cover with a tight fitting lid and place in to the oven.  Let this cook for at least 3 hours. (8-12 hours would not be out of the question.)  Just check it periodically to stir and add a little water if needed.  You do want it to reduce a bit to thicken to a good chili consistency that you like.

Serve with your choice of condiments, Cheese and jalapeno slices for me!

The Chiles

The Tomatoes

Bottom round steaks and
pork shoulder steaks 

 Cut meat into 3/4 inch cubes.

Don't over crowd the pan.

Small batches sear best!

Nicely browned meat.

Caramelized onions, garlic and chiles 



Add tomato paste.

Deglaze the pan.

Add the beef, tomatoes,
canned chiles and spices.

After 4 hours.

Ready to eat!



Sous Vide Pork Chops, Collard Greens and Apples & Onions

Yes, I am doing the sous vide thing again.  I am really enjoying this method,  It is simple and is proof against this particular idiot.  Heat the water to and maintain it at 140F.  I started with 1 1/2" chops liberally added salt and pepper, along with a little thyme and rosemary on both sides.  Then placed in a single layer in a gallon zip-top bag.  Slowly lower the bag in the water allowing the air to be squeezed out.  Seal the bag and cook 1 to 3 hours.

My sides are Collard Greens and Sauteed Apples & Onions.

To prepare the collard greens, first wash about 8 leaves and blot dry.  Remove the stems and cut into pieces about 3/4".  Saute over medium heat a large shallot in 2 Tbs bacon grease (or olive oil) when caramelized add 2 minced cloves of garlic.  When the garlic is fragrant add the greens, a heavy pinch of salt and 1/4 c. marsala wine.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cover.  Stir occasionally and cook until tender, 20-40 minutes. The older the leaves the longer they need to cook.

For the apples and onions, first toast 1 tsp .yellow mustard seeds and 1 tsp. coriander seeds over medium low heat.  Shake occasionally to prevent burning.  Toast until you begin to smell the spices. Slice a medium red onion and saute over medium heat in 2 tbs of olive oil till translucent.  Add a large sliced apple and 1 tsp. spice blend.  Cook until apples are tender and lightly colored.

Finish the chops by removing from the bags and wipe off spices and moisture. To a very hot skillet with 2 Tbs. olive oil and 1 Tbs. butter add a little thyme and rosemary.  Sear both sides of the chops by flipping every 15 seconds or so till done to your liking. Next sear and the edges and serve.

Collard Greens

Carefully cut down both sides of the stem,

Remove the stem.

Stack the leaves and slice into 3/4" pieces.

Melt 2 Tbs. bacon Grease

Saute a large shallot till colored then
add 2 minced cloves of garlic.

When the garlic gets fragrant add the greens
 and 1/4 c. marsala wine . 

Cook until tender.

Apples and Onions

Saute sliced onions till translucent.

Add sliced apples and 1 tsp. spices to pan and cook till
 lightly colored and tender.

Spice Blend for Apples and Onions

Toast mustard seeds and coriander.

Crush spices and add 1 tsp. to apple and onions.

Finishing the Pork Chops

Sear the chops in flavored oil .

Don't forget the edges.

Plate and serve.