Tuesday, April 18, 2023

How Meatloaf Became an American Classic



My mother explained to me that meatloaf was developed as a way to stretch a pound of ground beef to feed a family, by adding some kind of bread or grain and binding it with egg. It's the same principle as that behind meatballs, soy burgers, haggis, scrapple, and many sausages. Add some onions and Worcestershire sauce, and no one will know there are more cracker crumbs than meat in your meatloaf. You can stretch that meat even further by eating slices of cold meatloaf on a sandwich the next day. Meatloaf as we know it today is a classic American food, as Americans love their beef whether they can afford it or not. My mother never got into those midcentury meatloaf innovations like adding peaches or pineapple or frosting it with mashed potatoes, and likewise I don't want to try modern embellishments like wrapping it in bacon or rolling it up with greens. I tend to serve it with black-eyed peas, since those are the only two foods I eat with ketchup. But that's what's so great about meatloaf- not only is it relatively inexpensive, you can experiment with it and do it the way you want.

6 comments:

WTM said...

I use ground turkey instead of ground beef, ground flaxseed instead of bread crumbs, and butternut squash soup instead of tomato sauce since the wife cannot eat tomatoes. I also put drained and rinsed sliced olives in it because she loves olives. It's good cold.

I've had restaurant meatloaf that was quite exotic - wrapped in bacon and with pearl onions, for example - or enshrouded in bread dough when partially done and baked until the bread was done. Now that's good eatin'!

Lilylou said...

I love meatloaf, but for only one person it gets pretty old after a few days! My mom used to chop it up and use it in soup, which I have also done.

Miss Cellania said...

I know what you mean, Lilylou. In the last few years, I've only made meatloaf or meatballs when the kids come home and bring their SOs. Otherwise, it's soup and sandwiches for me.

Anonymous said...

Meatloaf wrapped in bacon is great. My step-father made a great meatloaf; my Mom could not make meatloaf to save her life.

I had a great meatloaf at a restaurant--I think it was beef and lamb if I remember correctly.

I am a fan of meatloaf.

And in case anyone cares, meatloaf is unknown in Mexico--at least northern Mexico.

Anonymous said...

> ground flaxseed instead of bread crumbs, and butternut squash soup instead of tomato sauce

I'd do anything for loaf, but I won't do that.

xoxoxoBruce said...

With Beef the flavor is in the fat and when that melt all the ingredients taste like it. Thats why you canadd fillers like crackers, or flaxseed and it tastes good. I don't know if you could get away with freezing individual slices for sandwiches later.