Forecast: Wine, With a Chance of Meatloaf
If there were a Hall of Fame for American cuisine, meatloaf would deserve a pedestal, right? This midweek staple, a diner favorite, tracks back to the 1870s, and is so embedded in our kitchen culture that supermarkets label their shrinkwrapped ground beef-pork-veal as “meatloaf mix.”
Few would argue its staying power is about taste. Or aesthetics. A loaf of grayish-brown meat is not exactly photogenic. And we expect it to be, well, meaty but not much more. It remains legit comfort food. Simple, wholesome, filling. Budget-friendly, family-feeding, easy-freezing.
Meatloaf’s traditional building blocks — ground meat, onion, egg, bread/crumbs, liquid, seasoning — are famously game for interpretation. Is the meat a traditional three-part blend, or perhaps all ground chuck? Turkey-loaf, anyone? (No one ever calls it that — thus further solidifying meatloaf as a genre.) To glaze, or not to glaze — that’s another question. Options abound. And some folks wouldn’t think of taking meatloaf without gravy.
That fundamental fungibility, I would argue, is what renders it quintessentially American. Making meatloaf? Go ahead, make it your own. That’s the American way of meatloaf. Maybe you have a secret ingredient (mine is cottage cheese). Maybe you like it baked dark and crusty. Perhaps it’s all about the leftovers, since you’re convinced a good meatloaf is always better the next day.
Now Add Wine…
Speaking of flexibility, we should pay more attention to meatloaf as a versatile foil for wine, thanks to its natural heft, mouth-filling texture, and savory/umami character.
If meatloaf is on my table, I am perfectly happy with most any dry but fruity, medium-bodied red wine. In fact, after a recent test run with my local wine group, I am ready to push that equation one step further: a good meatloaf makes a good wine taste even better.
The way we run our wine group is that each month the host picks the wine/food target(s). March was my turn, so I declared meatloaf the main course, with sides of mac & cheese, mashed potatoes and greens, and the wine for folks to bring: Bordeaux. Well, it was also my birthday, so there were some killer clarets on the table. But here’s the rub: as fine as every wine was on its own, we enjoyed every single one even more with the meatloaf.
Call it what it is: the magic of meatloaf. Testing it even further, after a debate on whether the chosen wine for meatloaf shoulda/coulda been American, I restaged the whole comfort meal and tried it with three all-American reds: Bezel Pinot Noir from San Luis Obispo; Bezel Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles; and a St. Francis Sonoma County Red Blend.
Again, all three were good. Solid. Straightforward with a bit of oomph. Then all three got better — especially the Red Blend, which really opened up, blossomed and lengthened. That wine, which I normally would have skipped over, was my favorite of the night. I am glad I took my local retailer’s recommendation to try that over a Zin or Merlot. In praising its relative merits he noted its lower price. “Perfect for the new austerity,” he quipped.
If that’s what austerity tastes like, I can get on board.
Next test: Does leftover wine pair with leftover meatloaf?
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Meatloaf: It’s what’s for dinner.
It’s retro and timeless.
It’s comfort food built for wine lovers.
MEATLOAF RECIPE
Makes 3 loaves
1 Yellow Onion (& Butter for sauteeing)
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Thyme
2 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp Red Wine
3 large Eggs, beaten
2+1/3 cups Panko Breadcrumbs
2.5 lb Meatloaf Mix (pork, beef, veal)
1 lb 80/20 Ground Beef*
1 cup Cottage Cheese (2%, small curd)
Salt and Pepper whenever you see fit
Saute onion in butter until soft; don’t brown; let cool
In a big bowl, combine onions with next 7 ingredients; stir to combine
Add 1 cup Panko and the meatloaf mix; mix by hand to combine
Add 1 cup Panko, ground beef, cottage cheese; mix by hand to combine
Form 3 loaves on a parchment-lined sheet pan
Sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs over the 3 loaves; pat in
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes; add glaze if desired
Continue at 350 for 30+ minutes; let rest.
*Note: this makes the final proportions 50% beef, 25% pork, 25% veal.
Sweet & Tangy Glaze
It’s a topping. It’s a condiment. It’s both! My glaze is basically souped-up ketchup, a take on barbecue sauce. Variations can include chili sauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, even hoisin or soy sauce. Use about half the glaze for topping loaves, and serve the rest at the table. Make extra if you want to ensure having some for leftovers.
3/4 cup Heinz Ketchup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Red Wine
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar (light or dark)
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
Mix well and set aside.
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4 Keys to Great Meatloaf
Cooking the onion improves it exponentially. I prefer a large onion, but if you are in the less-onion-is-more camp, go small/medium. And note: no garlic, no problem.
Cottage cheese plays the role of secret weapon here, joining panko and egg to create a formidable and wholesome binder.
Dividing the breadcrumbs, using some to top the loaf, yields a crispy crust and/or better landscape for glaze.
Some people never go glaze; others never go back. I find it a tangy and sweet counter to the umami of the meatloaf proper. Glazing partway through cooking is the best application; can always add more. A glaze certainly impacts interaction with wine.
No loaf pan, please! Just don’t need it. My ex-wife used a loaf pan and baked her meatloaf for at least 2 hours, yielding a brick that never really came out of the pan; then, of course, we’d have to soak the pan for days.
