I used to think that meatloaf was boring, until I tried this recipe. Full of ginger and 5 spice flavor, this is NOT your Mama's meatloaf! Instead a hoisin glaze takes an Asian riff on an otherwise boring classic. Especially good cold, we enjoyed it in sandwiches on top of toasted pieces of bread and topped with pickled veggies. Or, just eat it cold because it's THAT delicious.
Ingredients:
2 cups cubed day old crustless while bread (about 2 slices)
1/2 cup low salt chicken broth
4 slices of bacon, minced
1 1/3 cups sliced green onions (separate the white and dark green parts)
3 celery stalks, minced (about a cup)
1 four inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
7 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound of ground beef
1 pound of ground pork
2 large eggs, whisked
3 whole star anise, freshly ground in a spice mill (about 2 tsp ground) or 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder
1/2 tsp salt (the bacon and hoisin add salt, but you can add more if you wish)
1 tsp pepper
Glaze:
3/4 cup hoisin glaze
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 one inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
In a small saucepan, stir together the glaze ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes until it thickens.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 F and brush a loaf pan with vegetable oil, or coat with non stick spray.
Saute the bacon over medium heat until it begins to crisp. Drain off the fat and add the white parts of the green onions, celery, ginger, and garlic. Turn the heat down and stir it often so that the ginger and garlic don’t burn. When everything has softened, take it off the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the bread cubes and the chicken broth. The bread should soak up the broth and begin to fall apart. Add the bacon and vegetable mixture, beef, pork, anise, salt, pepper, eggs, and 2 tbsp of the hoisin glaze.
Using your hands, mix everything together until well incorporated. Scoop the meat mixture into the greased pan, pushing the mixture down to get rid of any air bubbles. Mound the meat in the middle, cover it with foil, and place on a baking sheet covered with foil to catch any liquid overflow. Bake for 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes, take off the foil and brush with Hoisin glaze. Return to the oven and continue to bake for about an hour, until a meat thermometer inserted in the middle reads 165 F. Brush with more glaze occasionally.
When the meatloaf is finished, remove from the oven, drain off the fat, and allow to sit for about 20 minutes before transferring to a board and slicing.
Adapted from Bon Appetit
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