[Sca-cooks] Re: Meat loaf (was Peppers and Mangoes)

[Bronwynmgn at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/2/2005 12:27:11 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
paxford at dodo.com.au writes:

<<Is it some larger grander variation on the common Aussie  Rissole? (mince
meat + diced onions + egg to bind it together to a ball shape  and then fried
in oil in a pan.>>
 
Not  in the world I know - among other things, it gets cooked in  an oven, 
not fried.
"Meat loaf" is a concoction of what you call mince - ground  beef or  
hamburger meat here - and a huge variety of other ingredients depending on who  is 
making it.  My mother's recipe features seasoned salt, pepper or lemon  pepper, 
Worcestershire sauce, tomato ketchup, mustard, chopped onion, beaten  egg, and 
bread crumbs mooshed together with the hands, formed into a ball,  placed in 
a Pyrex dish surrounded by a little water, and baked in the  oven.  I've been 
known to add garlic powder or chopped garlic to mine as  well.
 
A roommate of mine used to make it with ground beef, and dried onion soup  
mix and cover the top with a coating of tomato ketchup or even condensed tomato  
soup before baking.
 
Of course, here is Lancaster County, PA, there is a variant made with ham  
and known as "ham loaf" - "meat loaf" is always made with ground beef, "ham  
loaf" with very finely processed ham, although I have no idea what else goes in  
it as I've never made it and rarely eaten it.  The grocery stores here also  
sell something called "meat loaf mix" which is a pack of  three  approximately 
equal portions of ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal.   I use this 
mostly for making Pies of Parys, actually, since the recipe for that  does mention 
the possibility of a mixture of meats.  I've never actually  made a meatloaf 
out of it.
 
Brangwayna
who really needs to start making some bigger meals and freezing the  
leftovers for use after I have my baby, who is due in 20 days!