What’s Meatloaf?

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Meatloaf is a savory dish made primarily from ground meats such as beef, pork, or turkey, along with binders and fillers such as eggs, breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, oatmeal, and other grainy cereals. A traditional meatloaf can also include chopped vegetables, including mushrooms, onions and green peppers. This mixture is often formed into the shape of a loaf of bread and baked in an oven until the meat is cooked through.

There are several recipes for meatloaf, many of which incorporate regional or cultural ingredients such as dry Italian spices or a Midwestern ketchup-based glaze. Some recipes for meatloaf call for a single source of ground beef, commonly ground hamburger meat, while others call for a proportional blend of ground beef, ground pork, and/or ground turkey.

The fillers and binders used to extend the ground beef can also vary from region to region. Bread crumbs, sometimes soaked in red wine or beef broth, are popular fillers, as are crushed soda or salty crackers. Other extenders include oatmeal and wheat germ. Raw eggs are often added to the raw meat loaf mixture as both an extender and a binder to prevent crumbling.

The same combination of ground beef, egg binder, and bread or grain extender is also found in many traditional Italian meatball recipes, which tends to support the idea of ​​meatloaf evolving from an Old World sausage tradition. Other sources suggest that the use of a ground meat/vegetable “slurry” can be traced back to ancient Middle Eastern and Asian cultures. The German tradition of using readily available ingredients to form a hearty one-dish meal can also be seen in the traditional preparation of meatloaf.

After the industrial revolution of the mid-19th century, ground beef became readily available at reasonable prices to ordinary citizens. The lack of reliable refrigeration methods, however, has made many people reluctant to buy ground beef of dubious quality and age. When personal meat grinders were introduced to the general public, manufacturers thoughtfully included recipes for various types of meatloaf and other ground beef dishes.

Today, meatloaf is seen by many as the quintessential comfort food. Accompanied by mashed potatoes, green beans, corn and other traditional side dishes, meatloaf is often associated with nostalgic memories of family dinners organized around real family dinner tables. Meatloaf is also a versatile dish, as it can be served as leftovers for several days or sliced ​​cold for lunch sandwiches. Meatloaf may have overseas origins, but it is often considered a perfect example of traditional American cuisine.

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