Behind the Recipe: Meatloaf

On a cold Sunday evening in February, I reasoned, all you want is a comforting, delicious dinner. The kind of dish that reminds you of home with every bite. Which means, that’s right, it’s meatloaf time. Just like Mom’s, except better than Mom’s. Just like Mom’s, but without the soggy bacon and the dried-out ketchup crust.

There might be nothing better than bacon, but there’s nothing worse than flabby bacon, like the kind that often comes wrapped around meatloaf. Still, even though it’s gross, that bacon has purpose. All that smoky fat melts into the meat, flavoring the outside layer with richness. So then, I was faced with a puzzle: How could I get the bacon-y goodness into the meatloaf, but without the flab? Sometimes, it turns out, answers are hidden in the questions. You want bacon in your meatloaf? Put the bacon in the meatloaf. It couldn’t be simpler; just pulse the bacon in the food processor and add it to the mix. Instead of flavoring just the outside of the loaf, the bacon melts and melds in with everything, all the way through. And if you think you might miss those external smoky strips, try topping the loaf with a few crisp-cooked pieces; I promise, no one will complain.

With the bacon situation under control, it was time to start thinking about ketchup and everything it adds to our lives. This is worth pondering. The Reagan Administration tried to tell us in the '80s that ketchup is a vegetable, but I’m still not convinced. According to my palate, ketchup is tomato-flavored sugar with a little vinegar mixed in. It adds sweetness and balance to salty things—like bacon.

So I started thinking about all the sweet and salty things that play well together, like bacon-wrapped dates or foie gras-stuffed prunes. I opened the cabinet and pulled out a box of prunes. I popped one in my mouth and let the deep, dark sweetness sink in. These would be perfect. They were satisfyingly rich and, with a little vinegar, would take over ketchup’s job—and get a raise, while they were at it. There was just one problem: I hate to chop prunes. They stick to everything. It’s a pain.

And the food processor was already dirty...so I thought what the hell and threw them in.

Did it work? Well, I liked it a lot, but that kind of goes without saying. But another editor made it for a friend of his who is incredibly picky about food, and his comment was, "This is the best meatloaf I ever had in my life." I'm not saying he's right, but you should check it out. It's simple, fun, and delicious.