Meatloaf!

This meatloaf tastes great and is a welcome break from the boiled or stewed dinners that frugal student living so often necessitates. It is also about half the price of the pre-cooked sandwich meat sold in grocery stores without the added preservatives or artificial ingredients.

Ingredients

1lb ground pork or turkey

1/3 cup finely diced onion

1/8 cup all purpose flour

2 cloves garlic finely minced

1 & ½ tsp prepared whole grain mustard

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper ground

¼ tsp ground coriander (optional)

Directions

1.) Preheat your oven to 400F. Because the onion and garlic will not have time to cook inside the loaf before it is done, it is necessary to sweat them first in a sauté pan before incorporating them into the recipe. This is why many recipes for meatloaf or hamburgers call for powdered onion or garlic. Sauté the onions on low to medium heat so that they become tender but only take on a very subtle colouring. Add the minced garlic in the last 30 seconds of cooking to help soften and release its flavour.

2.) Combine the onions, garlic, flour, mustard, and seasonings in a mixing bowl along with the ground pork or turkey. Grease your baking pan before mixing the meat to save an extra hand washing. The baking pan should be small enough to allow the loaf to have a depth of at least 4cms.

3.) Mix the ingredients for 2-3 minutes the way you would knead a loaf of bread in order to give the loaf a finer texture. After kneading the loaf, form it into a ball and “throw” it down into the mixing bowl a few times to help remove any air pockets that might have become trapped inside. Reform it into a ball and continue to work it into a ball shape for another minute or so to try and remove any remaining air pockets. Shape this ball into an appropriate size then press down into the baking pan.

4.) Smooth out the edges so the loaf has a uniform and slightly “domed” surface then lightly brush the top of the loaf with a small amount of water in order to help form a crisp crust. Place the loaf in the preheated oven and roast for approximately 35 minutes. It is ready when a light brown crust has begun to form and the juices run clear when pricked with a knife. Remember to account for carry-over cooking when removing it from the oven. You want the loaf to be as close to being finished as possible without begin over cooked in order to preserve as much moisture as possible for your sandwiches the next day. Placing the loaf on a cooling rack once it is done will also help it to retain moisture and flavour.