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Herbed Meat Loaf from Barbara Pollack of Expert Foods
Meatloaf is a marvelous comfort food. It is based on inexpensive ground
meats, and fillers designed to catch the flavorful drippings that would
otherwise melt off. With a modicum of interesting seasoning, even the
low-cost versions can be special dishes, and the expensive versions are
considered gourmet treats.
The problem for low-carb dieters is that they are usually made by including something starchy to absorb the drippings. For those of us who can't add starches, or who have been disappointed by lowcarb breadcrumbs or something similar, it's important to use other strategies.
Our meatloaf recipe combines a number of ideas. We add ThickenThin not/Sugar thickener*, just as we do in our Better Burgers recipe, to help the loaf retain moisture. Much as we do in not/tatoes, we add ThickenThin not/Cereal thickener* instead of real cereal or bread crumbs to give it the starchy feel of the real thing. It also helps hold things together, much as it does for croquettes.
Because a good meatloaf takes a long time to cook, I like to make a batch of meatloaves ahead and freeze them. Thaw/reheat them in the oven at 300° F for at least half an hour. It's time-consuming, but requires no effort, and the meatloaf's flavor and texture are great.
You can vary the choice of meats, vegetables, and herbs to your taste.
Recipe By : Barbara Pollack
Servings: 4
Yield: 2 loaves
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup chives, chopped
1 1/3 tablespoons dried basil, or 1/3 cup fresh
1/3 cup green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 1/3 tablespoons ThickenThin not/Sugar thickener *Buy Now
2 tablespoons ThickenThin not/Cereal thickener *Buy Now
2/3 tablespoon salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 1/2 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line pie plates with aluminum foil, one pan for each loaf.
2.In a large bowl, mix meat, herbs, vegetables, thickeners, and seasonings. For the best results, do not overhandle the meat. The best method is to use your fingers to crumble the meat into the mixture and blend -- try to pull it apart rather than pack or squeeze. Last, add the beaten eggs, mixing only until the egg is incorporated.
3.Shape into loaves on the prepared pans.
4.Bake at 350° F for 1 1/2 hours.
5.Allow to rest in the foil a few minutes before serving, to allow the loaves to reabsorb much of the liquid and fat. If you must, you can drain away some of the fat, but this is relatively lean for a meatloaf, so you may be disappointed without it.
The problem for low-carb dieters is that they are usually made by including something starchy to absorb the drippings. For those of us who can't add starches, or who have been disappointed by lowcarb breadcrumbs or something similar, it's important to use other strategies.
Our meatloaf recipe combines a number of ideas. We add ThickenThin not/Sugar thickener*, just as we do in our Better Burgers recipe, to help the loaf retain moisture. Much as we do in not/tatoes, we add ThickenThin not/Cereal thickener* instead of real cereal or bread crumbs to give it the starchy feel of the real thing. It also helps hold things together, much as it does for croquettes.
Because a good meatloaf takes a long time to cook, I like to make a batch of meatloaves ahead and freeze them. Thaw/reheat them in the oven at 300° F for at least half an hour. It's time-consuming, but requires no effort, and the meatloaf's flavor and texture are great.
You can vary the choice of meats, vegetables, and herbs to your taste.
Recipe By : Barbara Pollack
Servings: 4
Yield: 2 loaves
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Start to finish: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 cup parsley, chopped
1/3 cup chives, chopped
1 1/3 tablespoons dried basil, or 1/3 cup fresh
1/3 cup green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 1/3 tablespoons ThickenThin not/Sugar thickener *Buy Now
2 tablespoons ThickenThin not/Cereal thickener *Buy Now
2/3 tablespoon salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 1/2 eggs
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line pie plates with aluminum foil, one pan for each loaf.
2.In a large bowl, mix meat, herbs, vegetables, thickeners, and seasonings. For the best results, do not overhandle the meat. The best method is to use your fingers to crumble the meat into the mixture and blend -- try to pull it apart rather than pack or squeeze. Last, add the beaten eggs, mixing only until the egg is incorporated.
3.Shape into loaves on the prepared pans.
4.Bake at 350° F for 1 1/2 hours.
5.Allow to rest in the foil a few minutes before serving, to allow the loaves to reabsorb much of the liquid and fat. If you must, you can drain away some of the fat, but this is relatively lean for a meatloaf, so you may be disappointed without it.
