Sarasota's Classic Meatloaf

Submitted by SarasotaCook

"My all time favorite. I have my Recipe #399886, my Recipe #403644 and I also make my Mexican Meatloaf Stuffed Pepper Rings. But still this is my favorite. I have 5 secrets which I think really make the difference. 1) I saute my vegetables first; 2) I use fresh bread soaked in milk, NO dried bread crumbs for me; 3) Fresh herbs if possible; 4) A mix of beef, pork and veal; and 4) Do NOT over mix your meat. This was a recipe we served in our restaurant as our signature dish, and it always sold out. Served with sour cream and chive mashed potatoes and pan seared green beans in a balsamic butter. NOTE: Sometimes I will take this recipe and make 2 smaller loafs. Just free formed, but that way I eat one and slice the other and freeze for meatloaf sandwiches or for another dinner. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 45mins
• Ingredients: 21
• Yields: 8-10 Thick Slices
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (I do not use lean for this)
• 1⁄2 lb ground pork
• 1⁄2 lb ground veal
• 1 cup onion, very fine diced
• 1⁄2 cup celery, very fine diced
• 1⁄3 cup carrot, very fine diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 3 slices bread, should equal about 1 cup (regular every day bread)
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs, beaten (if using extra large or jumbo, just use 1)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce (like A1)
• 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter (to saute the vegetables)

• Glaze

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

directions

1. Vegetables -- First. I just used my mini food processor to fine chop the vegetables - saves tons of time, but you can chop them by hand if you want. In a small saucepan melt the butter and saute the onion, celery, carrot and garlic on medium heat. Don't cook them too fast, you want them to sweat slowly for about 5 minutes until they are tender.
2. Base -- Then transfer the vegetables to a large bowl .Add in the egg, steak sauce, worcestershire, oregano, thyme, parsley, marjoram or dried oregano (both will well, I just love the fresh marjoram if you have it), salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.
3. Bread -- In a flat pan or dish, add the milk and soak each slice of bread just for a few seconds and then squeeze out most of the milk. Add the bread slices breaking them up into the bowl. Save the milk, don't throw it out. Mix the bread crumbs inches.
4. Meat -- Quick Note: You can use all beef for this, but I really prefer the mix. You could also, substitute turkey for the veal if you want, but - Beef, Veal and Pork are my favorites.
5. Now, add in the meat. You can use a spoon, but honestly, I use my hands to mix everything together. You don't want to over mix as the meat can get tough.
6. Loaf -- I prefer to free form my loaf rather than using a loaf pan, but if you want, you can use a loaf pan. If using a pan, I line it with parchment paper, but I really prefer to form mine on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. This way when you glaze the meat loaf you can glaze the sides as well. This is the way we always did it in the restaurant. As mentioned above, you can make 2 smaller loafs vs 1 loaf, the cooking time is all that changes.
7. Glaze -- In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, brown sugar and cider vinegar together.
8. Cook -- Middle shelf in a 350 degree oven. Depending on on thick you make your loaf, it should take between 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes. I make mine fairly thick so it takes just about 1 hr 15 minute Bake for about 40-45 minutes and then glaze. Cook another 10-15 min and glaze one more time. Once done, remove and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
9. Serve -- Just slice and enjoy! As I said, sour cream and chive potatoes and pan seared green beans are my favorite with this dish.

Reviews

[Denise!]

I'm not going to rate this as I had to use all ground beef. Just a comment - this was very chunky after it was cooked, not a smooth texture like I had anticipated. The flavor was okay, but not what I had expected with the extra veggies and seasonings. After looking at a few other recipes we have tried, I think we prefer more bread crumbs in our meatloaf. Not to our tastes, but I have a lot of your recipes saved and I know they're good ones. Will try another ; )

 

[Dissie]

This is a very good recipe. Excellent taste! She has named it very well as I was about to put, very classic meatloaf, then realized thats the name! This meatloaf holds together well for slicing. Will definately make again. I didn't have the veal, so used ground beef and ground pork. Thank you for sharing Sarasotacook!