SERVES 6 TO 8
If you like, you can omit the bacon topping from the loaf. In this case, brush on half of the glaze before baking and the other half during the last 15 minutes of baking. If you choose not to special-order the mix of meat below, we recommend the standard meatloaf mix of equal parts beef, pork, and veal, available at most grocery stores. Lining the baking pan with foil makes for easier cleanup.
BROWN SUGAR–KETCHUP GLAZE |
|
½ |
cup ketchup or chili sauce |
¼ |
cup brown sugar |
4 |
teaspoons cider vinegar or white vinegar |
MEATLOAF |
|
2 |
teaspoons vegetable oil |
1 |
medium onion, chopped |
2 |
medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons) |
2 |
large eggs |
½ |
cup whole milk or plain yogurt, plus more as needed |
2 |
teaspoons Dijon mustard |
2 |
teaspoons Worcestershire sauce |
1 |
teaspoon table salt |
½ |
teaspoon ground black pepper |
½ |
teaspoon dried thyme |
¼ |
teaspoon hot sauce |
2 |
pounds meatloaf mix (50 percent ground chuck, 25 percent ground pork, 25 percent ground veal; see note) |
⅔ |
cup crushed saltines (about 16) or quick oatmeal or 1⅓ cups fresh bread crumbs |
⅓ |
cup minced fresh parsley leaves |
6–8 |
ounces bacon (8 to 12 slices, depending on loaf shape) (see note) |
1. FOR THE GLAZE: Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan; set aside.
2. FOR THE MEATLOAF: Line a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with foil; set aside. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing the remaining ingredients.
3. Mix the eggs with the milk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, and hot sauce. Combine the egg mixture with the meat in a large bowl and add the crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with a fork until evenly blended and the meat mixture does not stick to the bowl. (If necessary, add more milk, a couple of tablespoons at a time, until the mixture no longer sticks.)
4. Turn the meat mixture onto a work surface. With wet hands, pat the mixture into an approximately 9 by 5-inch loaf shape. Place on the prepared baking pan. Brush with half the glaze, then arrange the bacon slices, crosswise, over the loaf, overlapping them slightly and tucking only the bacon tip ends under the loaf.
5. Bake the loaf until the bacon is crisp and the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Simmer the remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly. Slice the meatloaf and serve with the extra glaze passed separately.