Upside-Down Meatloaf

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course, or makes about 8 sandwiches

What's better and more satisfying than a meatloaf sandwich? Beats me. I like 'em simple: sandwich bread (preferably toasted), mayo, thin slices of meatloaf, crisp lettuce, and maybe a couple of dill pickle slices. Ohhhhhhhh, they're divine. And packable! For sandwiches, I wanted a meatloaf recipe that would never come out dry on top or fat-soaked on the bottom, so I devised this simple upside-down baking method to keep the loaf moist and tender but let just the right amount of fat drain away. Well, I admit it ain't no looker, but since when has meatloaf been beautiful? Serve it on a Thursday or Friday for a hot meal, then make sandwiches with the leftovers for a weekend picnic.

1 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from about 2 slices of bread)
1/4 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, cored, and finely chopped
2 tablespoons ketchup
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. With your hands, mix all the ingredients until uniform and put the mixture into an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 3-inch loaf pan.

Set a rack over a baking sheet, then set a sheet of aluminum foil just bigger than the loaf pan on the rack. Make a couple of slits in the middle of the foil. Invert the loaf pan onto the foil. As the loaf bakes, it will drop onto the foil. Because the loaf is never directly in contact with the hot air of the oven, it will remain moist. Some of the excess liquid will leak onto the baking sheet.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If making sandwiches, chill before slicing.

Buy the Book!

from:
Good Day for a Picnic
Simple Food That Travels Well
by Jeremy Jackson
Morrow Cookbooks
$22.95; $32.50 (CAN); Hardcover, 224 pages
ISBN: 0060726806
Recipe reprinted by permission.