Meatloaf

Meatloafis adishofground meatthat has been combined with other ingredients and formed into the shape of aloaf, thenbakedorsmoked. The final shape is either hand-formed on abaking tray, or pan-formed by cooking it in aloaf pan.It is usually made withground beef, although groundlamb,pork,veal,venison,poultry, andseafoodare also used, sometimes in combination. Vegetarian adaptations of meatloaf may useimitation meatorpulses.
The cooked meatloaf can be sliced like a loaf of bread to make individual portions. It can easily become dry; therefore, various techniques exist to keep the dish moist, like mixing inbread crumbsand egg, covering it with sauce, wrapping it, or using moisture-enhancing ingredients in the mixture, such as filling it with fatty meats,cheeses, orvegetables.
Meatloaf is a traditionalGerman,Czech,ScandinavianandBelgiandish, and it is a cousin to themeatballinDutch cuisine.
North American meatloafhas its origins inscrapple, a mixture of ground pork andcornmealserved byGerman-Americansin Pennsylvania sincecolonial times.Meatloaf in the contemporary American sense did not appear incookbooksuntil the late 19th century.
TheAustrianversion of meatloaf is calledfaschierter Braten(literally "mincedroast", fromfaschieren, "tomince", andein Braten, "aroast"),also known asfalscher Hase, or 'fake rabbit'.Most of the time, it is not filled (as it may be in Germany), though the variationim Speckmantelinvolves wrapping the exterior in ham or bacon before baking.Often, it is served with mashed potatoes (when warm), or withCumberland sauce(when cold).
TheBelgianversion of meatloaf is calledvleesbrood(meatbread);however,fricandonis also used to refer to it in Dutch. In French, it is calledpain de viande. It is usually served warm and can then be served with various sauces, but can also be eaten cold with a loaf of bread.
Rulo Stefani(Bulgarian:Руло Стефани),aBulgarianmeatloaf is similar to the HungarianStefániameatloaf, with hard-boiled eggs, and sometimes with chopped carrots and pickled gherkins in the middle.
In theCzech Republic, meatloaf is referred to assekaná('chopped'). It is optional to put hard boiled eggs, gherkins, or wienerwurst inside.
Danishmeatloaf is calledforloren hare('mock hare') orfarsbrød('ground-meat bread') and is usually made from a mixture of ground pork and beef with strips ofbaconor cubed bacon on top. It is served with boiled or mashed potatoes and brown gravy sweetened withred currantjam.
Finnishmeatloaf is calledlihamureke. It is entirely based on the basic meatball recipe. The only spices used are salt and pepper. It is not customary to stufflihamurekewith anything. The usual side dish is mashed potatoes, andlihamurekeis usually served with brown sauce.
InGermany, meatloaf is referred to asHackbraten(literally "ground roast", fromHackfleisch, "ground meat", andein Braten, "aroast"),faschierter Braten(literally "mincedroast", fromfaschieren, "tomince", andein Braten, "aroast"),Wiegebraten,falscher Hase("false hare" or "faux hare") andHeuchelhase("mock-hare"). In some regions, it often has boiled eggs inside.Fleischlaibdoes literally mean "meat-loaf", but is actually another name forLeberkäse(literally "liver-cheese"), which is not a meatloaf.
InGreece, meatloaf is referred to asrolo(Ρολό)and it is usually filled with hard boiled eggs, although several other variations exist.
Stefania meatloaf (Hungarian:Stefánia szelet)or Stefania slices are a type ofHungarianlong meatloaf baked in a loaf pan, with three hard-boiled eggs in the middle, making decorative white and yellow rings in the middle of the slices.
InItaly, meatloaf is calledpolpettoneand can be filled with eggs, ham and cheese, and other ingredients.
TheMacedonianrolatis a similar dish to the chiefly Arab, though also Persian and South-Asian, kofta. Ground beef is rolled and cooked until brown. It can be cooked with vegetables and various sauces.
TheDutchversion of meatloaf is calledgehaktbroodand can be eaten warm or cold.Slavinkis sometimes thought of as a small meatloaf, though it is pan-fried.
InPolish cuisine, the dish calledpieczeń rzymska("Roman roast") orklopsis made of ground pork, beef, onions and garlic, with an obligatory hard boiled egg inside.
InRomanian cuisine, there is a meatloaf dish calleddrob, similar to other minced meat dishes in the region like the Bulgarianrulo Stefanior the HungarianStefániameatloaf. The major difference is thatdrobis always made with lamb organs (or a mixture of lamb organs and pork or veal), and the hard boiled eggs in the centre of thedrobare optional.
Swedishmeatloaf is calledköttfärslimpa(literally "minced meat-loaf", fromköttfärs, "minced meat", andlimpa, "loaf") and is usually made from a mixture of ground pork and beef. It is served with boiled or mashed potatoes, brown sauce gravy, often made from the meat juice that comes from cooking the meatloaf, and lingonberry jam. It is also used thinly sliced as a spread on sandwiches.
In theUK, there are regional pork meatloaf dishes known ashaslet, which can be eaten cold or hot.
In British English, haslet or acelet is a pork meatloaf with herbs, originally from Lincolnshire. The word is derived from the Old French hastilles meaning entrails. In Lincolnshire, haslet (pronounced '/ˈhæslɪt/' locally) is typically made from stale white bread, minced pork, sage, salt and black pepper.[1] It is typically served cold with pickles and salad, or as a sandwich filling. In England, it is occasionally sold on a delicatessen counter.
In Korea, there are meatloaf dishes calledtteok-galbiandneobiani.
Khuchmal(хучмал) is served with mashed potatoes cooked over the ground meat.
Embutido(not to be confused with the Spanishembutido) is made of well-seasoned ground pork, raisins, minced carrots, sausages, and whole boiled eggs. The meat is molded into a roll with the sausages and hard boiled eggs set in the middle. Another variation of the dish involves wrapping the meatloaf with pork crow ormesentery. It is then wrapped in aluminum foil (historically, banana leaves) and steamed for an hour. The cookedembutidomay be stored in freezers. It is usually served fried and sliced for breakfast.
Embutidois sometimes confused withmorcón(also not to be confused with Spanishmorcón), due to their similarity in appearance. However,morcónis a beefroulade, not a meatloaf.
Hardinerais a Filipino meatloaf made with diced or ground pork topped with sliced hard-boiled eggs, pineapples, carrots, bell peppers, peas, tomatoes, and raisins, among others.
InTurkish cuisine, there is a version of meatloaf calleddalyan köfteorrulo köfte; it is typically filled with carrots, peas, and whole boiled eggs.
The Vietnamese meatloaf version is calledchả. It is boiled rather than baked or smoked.There are many versions ofchảthat differ in the ingredients used.
Chilean meatloaf, known asAsado Alemán(German roasted meat)is a staple of southern Chilean cuisine, especially in areas known for having been influenced by the arrival of German immigrants during the 18th and 19th century. The most common recipe nowadays consists of ground beef, carrots, sausages, boiled eggs and breadcrumbs, cooked in the oven and normally served with a side-dish of mashed potatoes or rice.
The Cuban version of meatloaf is calledpulpeta. It is made with ground beef and ground ham, and stuffed withhard boiled eggs, and it is cooked on the stovetop.The dish was brought to public attention, albeit mistakenly referred to as a sausage, in the second episode of the third season ofThe Cosby Show, entitled "Food for Thought".However, due to Cuba's strict laws regarding the purchasing of meat products, especially beef, meatloaf is not a common dish in Cuba.
InAshkenazi Jewish cuisine, meatloaf is calledKlops(Hebrew:קלופס) and can be served cold or hot. It is sometimes filled with whole boiled eggs.The name presumably comes from the GermanKlops'meatball'.
In Lebanon,kibbeh(ground beef or lamb mixed with Bulgar) can sometimes be formed into a loaf and baked. It is sometimes made from raw meat.
Mexican meatloaf is known asalbondigónand is small in size.
The first recorded recipe for the modern American meatloaf dates from the late 1870s.Those preparing the dish were told to chop up whatever meat was on hand, the meat most likely being beef. To that they added salt, pepper, onion, egg and milk-soaked bread. This meatloaf was originally served as a breakfast food.
During theGreat Depression, cooking meatloaf was a way for families to stretch thefood budgetby using an inexpensive type of meat and left-over ingredients. Along withspices,it was popular to addcereal grains,breadorsaltinecrackers to the meatloaf to add bulk and stretch the meat. This tradition of additions still lives on, but with new goals: primarily, producing a lower-fat dish with superior binding and consistency.
Meatloaf recipes in America are typically made with asauceorrelish, often applied before cooking. Many recipes call for atomato sauceto be poured over the loaf, which forms a crust during baking.A simplebrownoronion gravyor a can ofcream of mushroom soupcan substitute for tomato-based sauce, but the meatloaf is prepared in a similar manner.Barbecue sauce, tomatoketchup, or a mixture of ketchup andprepared mustardmay also be used. This style of meatloaf may be topped with a "meatloaf sauce" consisting of ketchup andbrown sugar.  Another variety of meatloaf, in the same style, is prepared by "frosting" the loaf withmashed potatoes, drizzling a small amount ofbutterover the top, and thenbrowningit in the oven.
Some recipes are even more imaginative. There are vegetarian meatloaves, vegan meatloaves, even meatloaves made with ahi tuna, French fries, Fritos, Spanish chorizo, mint and pine nuts.Sculpted versions such asfeetloafare also becoming popular, especially on social media.
Meatloaf in America is normally served warm, as part of a main course, but it can also be sliced as acold cut(and then used in sandwiches). This dish can be considered a typicalcomfort foodin the US and Canada, and so it is served in manydinersand restaurants. Indeed, meatloaf is said to have attained iconic comfort food status along with hamburgers, fried chicken and mac and cheese.In a 2007 poll byGood Housekeeping, meatloaf was the seventh-favorite dish of Americans.
InPuerto Rican cuisine, meatloaf is known asalbondigónorbutifarrón al horno. Puerto Rican style meatloaf is made with ground pork, beef, turkey,adobo,Worcestershire sauce, milk, ketchup, potatoes, red beans, breadcrumbs, parsley, and a hard-boiled egg in the middle.