Meatloaf has its roots in economic hardship. Originally a means to stretch costly meat with less expensive ingredients, meatloaf became a dinner staple because of its flavor, texture and flexibility. Despite its simplicity, there's an art to a great meatloaf. Choose your ingredients carefully, handle them with care and ditch the loaf pan for a delectably tender meatloaf.
Meat Choice
Meat tops the list of ingredients in meatloaf, but which meats you choose are up to you. Any type of meat can make a meatloaf with a delicate texture, so let taste be your guide. The important characteristic for tenderness is sufficient fat to keep the loaf moist. If you're using lean ground beef, pork, veal or turkey, add a tablespoon of healthy fat such as olive or grapeseed oil per 2 pounds of meat to ensure a tender meatloaf.
Other Ingredients
Without a starchy filler, an egg binder or vegetables for flavoring, a solidly packed meatloaf would have the texture of a cinder block. The filler you use soaks up the oil in the meat and keeps it moist. Your filler of choice might include breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, oatmeal or cornflakes; all of these have their proponents, but these extenders all serve the same purpose. Pick the one you like best and mix in a quarter of a cup to every pound of ground meat. Eggs hold your meatloaf together, but too many turn it into rubber. Stick to one egg per pound of meat. Vegetables also lend a better texture to your meatloaf as well as improving its nutritional value. Add finely grated carrots, spinach puree, finely diced sauteed onions or green pepper to keep your meatloaf moist and give it flavor.
Shaping
Pressing the meatloaf too tightly removes some of the air that remains trapped in the meat, leaving the finished product dense and leaden. Handle the meatloaf mixture as little as possible to mix it so you preserve its loose texture. If you mix with your hands, gently turn the mixture to combine ingredients instead of squelching it through your fingers. When you shape the loaf, pat it into its finished form rather than compacting it into a brick.
Baking Pans
Loaf pans work well for browning breads and cakes on all sides, but they leave no room for juices to cook out of your meatloaf, leaving it dense and soggy instead of light and tender. You'll also miss out on the flavorful sauce that goes with your meatloaf when you can reach only one side to baste. Use a large baking dish that leaves room on all sides of the meatloaf. Shape the loaf as you would a baguette, forming a long cylinder of meat mixture, and coat it on all sides with a sauce of your choice. Bake your meatloaf to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit for safety.
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