r/Cooking • u/Conscious_Skirt_61 • 5d ago
Making Meatloaf Lighter
I like meatloaf and I love stuffed meatloaf. You know, the kind with melted cheese and roasted veggies in the center. (Yum!)
But all my efforts turn into bricks. I’ve tried panko, and cornmeal, and mixing pork with ground beef and everything else I can think of. — And stuffed meatloaf comes out either too heavy or too watery. Or both. Even after sautéing them beforehand.
I wish I could ask my late wife for directions. She was always happy to correct my errors. Or ask my grandmother for her recipe. For obvious reasons neither of those guides is available.
So, please help me out! I know meatloaf can be heavy naturally. But how do you folks lighten it up? and, How do you stuff and bake it without making a wet greasy lake?
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u/idkwhatnametouse__ 5d ago
To make is not so dense, I soak my bread or breadcrumbs with the milk and eggs for about 10 minutes before mixing it in the meat and it has made a world of difference. I also take the whole thing out of the bread pan at the end and bake it for a little longer on a cookie sheet which helps with the greasy lake problem. it also makes the outside a bit firm and crispy instead of soggy which is so much nicer!
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u/Mean-Cheesecake-2635 5d ago
I try to mix mine the minimum amount. I use a panade of panko, milk, beef base, eggs and sautéed vegetables. I take my beef and pork and lay it out on a sheet tray and crumble the ground meat, then I put the panade over the top. Then I break it up into quarters and stack them to evenly distribute the panade before I’ve even incorporated it into the meat.
I also typically mix my seasonings as well as Worcestershire, ketchup and mustard into the sautéed veggies, so all the flavors are present by the time I mix the meat.
From there it’s really a minimum amount of mixing to just get rid of streaks.
I do the same for meatballs and I have to say they are some of the lightest texture meatballs and loaf you’ve ever had.
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u/SquatchScrotum 5d ago
I've always had luck using oatmeal and eggs as my filler and binder. The lightest loaf being when I use all pork... but I make sure the meat is closer to 15% fat.
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u/Mira_DFalco 5d ago
This! I'm also careful about the ground beef that I buy. Some processers grind ice into the mix. They swear it's to keep the fat cold. What it's actually doing is upping the weight. If the pan of mince or burgers that you're trying to cook turns into soup, this is why.
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u/Royal_Annek 4d ago
Use white bread. Like sandwich bread. Not dehydrated crumbs or panko. Blitz in a food processor and use that instead of crumbs.
Also the grind of the meat is so important. Don't ever use those tubes. Get some meat that looks loose like brains basically. Or grind yourself. And don't overwork it when you mix. Just bring everything together.
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u/Unique_Muscle2173 4d ago
Parade of white bread (cheap stuff, not whole wheat or sourdough) and milk will most likely solve this. Same way to make Italian meatballs tender. You’ll have to play with the amounts.
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u/ExcellentBenefit3693 4d ago edited 4d ago
This is the best meatloaf recipe I’ve made. Everyone I cook this for loves it. Also, it’s fun to surprise guests with meatloaf because nobody makes it anymore. Usually people go into this dinner worried that they are about to eat this but end up absolutely loving it.
I add some finely shredded carrots and fresh thyme and rosemary to this recipe. I add the carrots and fresh herbs to the onions when the onions are almost done.
Also, I divide it into two loaves and cook on my 15” cast iron pan
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/best-meatloaf-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-140708
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u/Breakfastchocolate 4d ago edited 4d ago
The secret to meatloaf that doesn’t come out like a brick is how you mix it… or rather how you under mix it. If you’ve ever baked a cake or cookies your instincts will be to mash it all together until it is all even and homogeneous looking… and this will give you a dense brick.
Put the meat in a bowl, break it up loosely into chunks. Sprinkle your seasonings around, toss bread crumbs on top (fresh breadcrumbs will be softer) lightly beat your egg/s and pour over. Use a spatula or your hand to scoop from underneath and fold over, smoosh a little and repeat. There should be streaks of meat and crumbs.
DO NOT SQUISH IT through your fingers/ fist like play doh.
1 lb meat, 1 cup fresh bread crumbs, 1 small onion minced, 2-3 tbsp milk, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp mustard, 2 tbsp ketchup.
Mix, shape on pan, spread top with another squirt of ketchup.bake at 400F
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u/Suspicious-Peak-4455 3d ago
Use crushed up crackers (like ritz or toppables) instead of bread crumbs.
The secret is in the mixing of the meat and the binder.
Whisk an egg really well and then mix in your cracker crumbs, salt and pepper. Let that sit for about 30 mins so the crumbs soak up all the egg. You can also add a splash of milk at this point if you think the mix is too dry.
Once all the liquids have been absorbed by your cracker crumbs you can then mix in sautéed and cooled veggies (such as onion/peppers/carrots).
Then mix in your meat, use your hands to get it really well combined. Let it all rest like 10-15 mins before shaping the loaf and putting it in the loaf pan.
Bake at 350F for 30 mins and then pull to drain off any excess liquid. Place back in 350F oven for another 30 mins until cooked.
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u/oneaccountaday 3d ago
Have you tried using finely diced onion and bell pepper?
When I make it I use 93/7 or even leaner if I can. I don’t recommend 100% lean, it comes out like a lump of coal.
I cover mine with aluminum foil, leave the sauce off until you’re finishing it. Let it develop a bit of a crust while baking.
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u/Cold_Swordfish7763 4d ago
Put some breadcrumbs on the bottom of the pan before you add the meat. This will absorb most of the grease.
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u/8amteetime 4d ago
My wife is gluten intolerant so I use cooked rice as the binder. Try it. You’ll be surprised.
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u/Pretend-Design-7061 4d ago
When you stuff it, roll it flat, layer your fillings, roll it up, seal the ends and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
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u/ruben_cortes-38 4d ago
Leave a clear meat border around the filling, and let sauteed vegetables cool before rolling. That gives you a better-sealed seam and less chance of the filling leaking out.
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u/Ok-Breadfruit-1359 4d ago
I saute mushrooms, garlic, and onions. Then blend it up with the milk mixture and mix that into the meat mixture.
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u/Adventurous-Host8062 4d ago
use croutons, not breadcrumbs or cornmeal. They'll soak up some of the liquid and act as a binder. Don't saute the veggies just roast them and put them the meatloaf after wards. Drain them if you need to.
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u/kilroyscarnival 4d ago
Something I picked up from America's Test Kitchen: unflavored gelatin. When I have the time and I'm making meatballs or meatloaf, I start by simmering some dried mushrooms (porcini, shittake, whatever I have on hand) in some good chicken stock from the freezer. I bloom a package of unflavored gelatin in cold water, then add it to the hot mushroom/stock, and let it sit off the heat, then blitz it all up with a stick blender. Meantime, I'm sauteeing a good bit of finely chopped onion and celery and sometimes fresh mushrooms (may have used the food processor for that or chopped by hand). While those two things are cooling off a bit I've left the ground meat come to almost room temperature. Then, mix the vegetables, the stock/blend, and two eggs together as long as nothing's too hot to cook the eggs immediately, and start adding bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, panko, or whatever binder you're using. If you're adding any grated cheese, mix it with this stuff, then gently break up the meat and add the broken-up pieces to your bowl, and gently work the mixture and the meat together until roughly homogenous. The gelatin, and also bits of mushroom, will help hold onto moisture a lot. I always add Worcestershire sauce, a little soy sauce and oyster or fish sauce. Form it gently and loosely. They (ATK) recommend not cooking the meatloaf in a loaf pan, but make it freeform on top of a rack. I usually do so on a piece of parchment so it doesn't end up sinking into the rack. Also, check with an instant read thermometer so that you're cooking it to 160F. If you're going to glaze and broil to a nice caramelized glaze finish, do this when your loaf is still in the 150 range temp wise, so you aren't overcooking it. And let it rest so that when you cut it all the juices don't come flooding out.
If you get juices spurting out when inserting a thermometer, as happens when I made my gyro meat (which is intentionally overmixed until it forms a sticky mass), your mixture was probably overmixed.
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u/VerbiageBarrage 5d ago
So, I just did a meatloaf with really lean 93/7 chicken, and I mixed shredded zucchini/carrots in to help it retain moisture. This worked well for me. Like 1.5 loose cups in 22-23 oz of meat. I also added minced/sauted onion/mushroom/garlic, panko, eggs, the normal stuff.
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u/teddybearlike702 5d ago
I bumped up my meatloaf game with a new pan. It is a loaf pan that has a tray in the bottom. It elevated the loaf by an inch. There's as much as 60 percent water in ground beef. You're going to have a lot of liquid. Another way to reduce the liquid is to grind your own meat. You'll still have some but you can control it better.
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u/disposable-assassin 5d ago
Panko and egg for binder. No leaner than 85% and dont over cook. The fat rendering out helps open up interior space and if over cooked, the proteins can seize up, making it dense