Southwestern Meatloaf

December 31, 2018  •  Meat & Poultry

You wouldn’t think that meatloaf is something you serve to guests for dinner over the holidays. But I recently got together with some friends, and when I asked about food allergies or preference, the husband, one of my husband’s very best friends and his golf partner of many years, threw out the meatloaf as a choice. I’m sure it was meant as a joke – he has always been full of pranks, which is one of the reasons my husband loved spending time with him. But he didn’t know just how much I happen to love meatloaf, and so the menu was set.This recipe is an adaptation from a friend’s recipe who adapted a Tex Mex Meatloaf recipe from Emeril Lagasse – in other words, it’s how recipes should work. You take what you like and adapt it to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. But the one thing I didn’t mess with was the basic notion of including chorizo and a chili glaze.Emeril’s recipe starts – in typical fashion for his culinary style – with something very similar to the holy trinity, but instead of celery he calls for a poblano pepper. Using vegetables within meatloaf both enhances the flavor as well as keeps it moist. And wondering about the addition of heavy cream to something that already seems decadent? The lactic acid in dairy helps to tenderize the meat, giving it a more velvety texture usually associated with veal.If you love meatloaf like I do, then add this one to your recipe list!

Southwestern Meatloaf
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Meatloaf
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 pasilla or poblano pepper, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground bison (or lean ground beef)
  • 1 pound chorizo (loose or remove from casings if in links)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ cup crushed tortilla chips
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup heavy cream
Chili Glaze
  • 12 ounces chili sauce (I like Heinz)
  • 4 ounces pepper jelly (I used strawberry ancho but it doesn't much matter)
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high and add the onion and peppers; cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Spoon onto a baking sheet or flat pan and transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
  2. Combine the bison and chorizo in a large bowl, working to break apart the chorizo and mix well into the bison. Add the cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, pepper, tortilla chips, breadcrumbs, eggs and cooled vegetables. Mix to combine without overworking the meat.
  3. Gently mix in the cream, them place the mixture into a loaf pan, pressing down gently to smooth the top.
  4. Combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir until well combine. Spoon about ¼ cup over the top of the meatloaf and use the back of a spoon to make sure the meat is covered completely. Save the remaining sauce to serve alongside the meatloaf.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour; let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

 

Comments

2 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Lori reed says:

    Made southwestern meatloaf tonight and Tim proclaimed it was the best he’d ever had. Over my mother’s famous recipe!

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