Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat that has been mixed with other ingredients and formed into the shape of a loaf, then baked or smoked. The final shape is either hand-formed on a flat pan or created by cooking it in a loaf pan. It is usually made with ground beef, although ground lamb, pork, veal, venison, poultry and seafood are also used. In addition it can be made out of lentils or quoin-beef as well for a vegetarian option.

The cooked loaf can be sliced like a loaf of bread to make individual portions. Because the dish can become dry, various techniques aim to keep the dish moist by either covering it with sauce or wrapping it, using moisture-enhancing ingredients in the mixture, or filling it with meats, cheese, or vegetables.

Meatloaf has always been mystery meat to me. My mother presented it to the table as a dull overcooked dry slab of brown stuff that looked like fruitcake only hot. It wasn’t a hamburger and it wasn’t roast beef. Whatever this slice was cut off of I didn’t want to see.

Placed between two slices of white bread just increased the blandness. Soaked in gravy or tomato sauce only absorbed in an attempt to give it flavor. Cut into chunks stirred into the mashed potatoes almost made it consumable.

I certainly understand stretching a meal, but like sausage or scrapple or hot dogs or those other mystery meats, make me a vegetarian.

Either give me a slice of bloody cow or fry me up some poultry for I can’t stomach this grounded up mystery meat.

When you think about what is on your plate and about to go into your face, you’d probably not eat at all.

All I can say is I’m not a fan of Meatloaf.