What is more classically American than a home-cooked meatloaf? Perhaps the pot it's cooked in? Classic cast iron cookware is preferred by many chefs for its durability and its ability to heat food evenly. Using a cast iron pot allows meatloaf to stews slowly, and the even cooking temperature helps prevent burning and uneven over-cooking, leaving you with a moist melt-in-your-mouth meatloaf. Any regular meatloaf recipe can be used in a cast iron.
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While it is heating, sauté a large onion in the cast iron pot or skillet that you will be cooking the meat loaf in. Cook with butter or oil for three to five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Mix together one pound of ground beef with ½ pound of ground pork (you can use all beef, or substitute turkey for the pork; play around with it), 1 cup of either fresh or dried bread crumbs (use rice or a gluten-free alternative stuffing mixture if you are cooking gluten-free), ½ cup of milk, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of thyme and the cooked onions. Massage thoroughly with your hands until well mixed.
3. Form the meat into a football shape or a large round ball. Depending on the size of your cast iron pot (either oval casserole form or round skillet form), you will either shape it into an oval or a ball. The pot must have a lid; if it does not, you can create one with aluminum foil. Cook the meatloaf in the same pot you prepared the onions in.
4. Cook the meatloaf in the pot for about an hour. After 20 minutes, drizzle a mixture of ½ cup of ketchup, 4 teaspoons of brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of vinegar over the loaf, and cook for the remainder 40 minutes. The inside temperature of the loaf should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, salad or green beans and crispy bread rolls. Meat loaf keeps well for two to three days in the refrigerator, so plan on making quite a few meat loaf sandwiches for the next couple of days.
Tags: cast iron, cast iron, Cook meatloaf, degrees Fahrenheit, pound ground