Mid-City Meatloaf


Cajun Meatloaf

Meatloaf

Remember last week when I was talking about brown gravy and how I used to resort to the store-bought stuff when I didn’t have any pan drippings to work with and before I discovered beef base? Well, I also used to pair that store-bought gravy with, among other things, meatloaf made with a store-bought seasoning packet. Then I finally set aside the time to make a few different versions from scratch and have never looked back. Best part is, this scratch version takes only a few extra minutes to make. It all starts with equal parts ground beef, veal and pork. I spruce that up with South Louisiana’s answer to a mirepoix (onions, bell peppers and celery a/k/a the Holy Trinity), throw in plenty of green onions (because I love green onions) and hit the entire mixture with a jolt of locally lovable spices. I bind the mixture with eggs only–there’s really not enough fat thanks to my grass-fed beef to warrant bread crumbs–add a splash of heavy cream and serve it blue-plate-special-style with either mashed potatoes or broad egg noodles and plenty of brown gravy. I also whip up a small batch of glaze for my daughter who likes a sweet touch. If you’re into that sort of thing, here are the particulars: 1/3 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 teaspoons Lea & Perrins and 1 teaspoon dry mustard.

As for the “Mid-City” in the “Meatloaf”? Well, I wanted the recipe title to capture the Creole soul of this dish. So I chose Mid-City because it’s a happening old neighborhood with Creole roots situated smack in the middle of New Orleans. It’s the home base for many wonderful old-school, family owned restaurants and poor boy joints like Mandina’s, Venezia’s, Liuzza’s and Parkway Bakery and plenty of hot spots and hangouts like Angelo Brocato Ice Cream, Finn McCool’s Irish Pub, the Bulldog and the Bayou Beer Garden. It’s definitely an area worth getting to know or reacquainting yourself with!

Mid-City Meatloaf Recipe

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Seasoning Mix
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon allspice

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Lea & Perrins (Worcestershire sauce)
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
Brown Gravy, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, thoroughly combine seasoning mix; set aside.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with olive oil.  Add onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5-7 minutes.  Stir in Lea & Perrins and reserved seasoning mix; cook an additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; let cool.  Scrape onion mixture to a large mixing bowl.  Add the ground meat, eggs and heavy cream.  Using your hands, mix ingredients until well blended.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Tranfer meat mixture to baking sheet and form into a large loaf .  Bake until golden brown and firm, about 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  Serve immediately with warm Brown Gravy.  Makes 6-8 servings.

Genêt

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