Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 100 g bacon, finely diced
- 150 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 15 g garlic, minced
Panade and Seasoning
- 60 g panko breadcrumbs
- 80 ml whole milk
- 2 eggs
- 15 ml worcestershire sauce
- 10 g dijon mustard
- 8 g kosher salt
- 3 g black pepper, freshly ground
Meat
- 500 g ground beef
- 250 g ground pork
Glaze
- 120 ml ketchup
- 30 g brown sugar, packed
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar
- 2 g smoked paprika
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the diced bacon for 5 minutes until the fat renders and it begins to crisp. Add the finely diced onion and minced garlic, cooking for an additional 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, whole milk, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir well and let sit for 5 minutes to fully hydrate the breadcrumbs, creating a panade.
Add the ground beef, ground pork, and the cooled bacon and onion mixture to the bowl with the panade. Gently mix by hand until just combined, ensuring you do not overwork the meat.
Transfer the meat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, shape it into a free-form rectangular loaf measuring approximately 20 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and smoked paprika until smooth to create the glaze.
Using a basting brush, evenly coat the top and sides of the shaped meatloaf with exactly half of the glaze. Place in the preheated oven and bake at 175°C/350°F for 40 minutes.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven briefly. Brush the remaining half of the glaze over the exterior. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the exact center reads 74°C/165°F.
Remove the fully cooked meatloaf from the oven. Allow it to rest undisturbed on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes before using a chef knife to slice and serve.
Chef's Notes
- Baking the meatloaf free-form on a baking sheet rather than constrained inside a traditional loaf pan is a crucial technique. It allows the sides to caramelize beautifully while letting excess fat render and drain away, preventing the meat from essentially boiling in its own grease.
- A panade, which is the mixture of milk and breadcrumbs, acts as an essential moisture-retaining sponge. Skipping the 5-minute hydration step will cause dry breadcrumbs to actively pull natural juices out of the ground meat during the baking process.
- Using your bare hands is the most reliable method to combine the mixture without overworking the protein structure. Tools like stiff spatulas or stand mixers easily compress the delicate matrix, resulting in a dense, tough final product.
- The 10-minute resting period post-bake allows the muscle fibers to relax and the internal juices to redistribute evenly. Carving into the loaf straight from the oven will cause those boiling juices to immediately spill out onto your cutting board.
- Sautéing the aromatics and bacon beforehand ensures they are tender and fully flavorful. Adding raw onions to the mix often leaves an unpleasant crunchy texture because the internal temperature of the meatloaf never gets high enough to properly break them down.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap individual cooked slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a heavy-duty freezer bag.
Reheating: Slice and pan-fry in a dry skillet over medium heat until crispy on the edges, or microwave covered with a damp paper towel until heated through.
