Meat Loaf in a Dutch Oven

[Delmonico]

Meatloaf

Meat loaf and its little brother, meat balls goes way back in Europe to late Roman times at least, or a least items that were similar to what we call meat loaf today.   However meat loaf as we know it in America was developed and became a staple in cook books following the Civil War.  It became very popular during The Great Depression because it stretched expensive meat and often incorporated leftover s into the mix.  Today it is a staple of diners, small cafes and truck stops which specialize in what is often called comfort foods.   Often left overs are sliced and used for sandwiches. 

Today most recipes for meat loaf call for just ground beef, most 19th century recipes  use from ¼ to ¾ pork, a ratio of about 2 parts beef to 1 part pork (sausage) being the norm.   

Besides ground meat, a traditional meat loaf contains some sort of filler, often crackers, leftover bread, or a cereal like oat meal, plus eggs to help bind it together.   Other ingredients used are often some sort of sauce, most often tomato based, on top and/or incorporated into the meat mixture.  The top may also be garnished with bacon, added on top raw before baking.   Most often chopped onions are added to the meat mixture before baking as well as some sort of herbs and spices.   

Most often the mixture is placed in loaf pans and baked, however it lends itself well to being made in camp in a dutch oven.   I have found it goes over very well and it can be an inexpensive item used to feed a large group, although I have also found out that often it is so well liked that people tend to eat just a bit more of it than they would other main dishes, but that shows how well it is received. 

I like to make my camp meatloaf out of about 2/3 ground beef and about 1/3 ground bulk sausage.   Plain ground pork can be used also, but it can be hard to find sometimes.  I make it in a 14 inch deep oven; this will feed 15-20 people with no problem.   Like almost all my recipes the amounts are never exact and what I add will often reflect what I have on hand.    I make this after a couple days in camp and make sure we have biscuits and I have leftovers on them.  I use tomato ketchup in it, not as popular as it is today, it was around in the period, Heinz brand was introduced in 1876, but others were making it and selling it before then.

Delmonico's Camp Meat Loaf for a 14 Inch Deep Dutch oven

5 pounds of ground beef
2 ½ pounds of ground bulk sausage or ground pork
2-3 onions (chopped)
6 large eggs
8 stale biscuits
12 oz bottle of tomato ketchup
Several strips of bacon (optional)
Salt and pepper

Mix the meat together in a large pan, add the onions plus salt and pepper to taste.  Break the eggs and mix in with the meat well, adding about ½ the bottle of the ketchup.  Crumble up the biscuits fairly fine and add to the mixture, mix well.   

Pack the meat mixture into the dutch oven; garnish the top with the bacon strips and the rest of the ketchup. 

Bake in a moderate oven (325-375F) for 45 minutes to an hour.   (It should read 160F on a meat thermometer.  A meat thermometer is a modern device I often carry for safety.) 



Before cutting and serving, tip the oven and pour off any excessive grease.

[Don Nix]

Del, try throwing in a touch of powdered milk with the ground meat.About a handful. When you mix your meat up . It adds moisture and helps bind the meat.Let me rephrase that ,it doesnt add moisture but it makes the meat load daty moist and keeps it from drying out some as it combines with grease and holds it in the meat.

[Delmonico]

Gravy, may try that sometime at home, but sealed in the dutch oven you don't need it and it's one less thing for me to have to keep in camp.  I'm trying to keep the camp size down tell I can afford a better pick-up and a trailer, then watch out.

[Don Nix]

Naw, It dont make gravy.it just retains a moisture in the meat. I ve been cooking out of my chuckwagon and in dutch ovens for years and it was a little trick I learned that gives a little difference to the flavor and cosistancy of the meat.You dont use enough of the milk to make a gravy.
I dont have to worry about toting too much stuff as I can out fit the wagon box and chuck box to carry some powdered milk along with my other staples easily enough.  I use it alot  s it helps with deserts and gravies. I have some times pulled the wagon out and cooked for a week or more with what was in the chuck box. Last big cook was at a Micheal martin Murphys cowboy gathering and things like powdered milk came in handy when your trying to out shine another cook.
But Im not an expert cook  ,just thought Id pass along something different.To each his own.

[Delmonico]

Oh don't worry, I'll try it and see if I like it.  One of my rules about meat loaf is it's wrong if you use an exact recipe.  Made one one time of all unspiced beef, used grated cheddar cheese and some cumin as the main flavor with the onins, I thought it was great, wife didn't, I had more left over samwiches that way.

[Stu Kettle]

Meat loaf is by far my favorite sandwich stuff  -  I hardly ever make a meatloaf, usually make two, one fer the table & one fer the fridge.

[Delmonico]

Meat loaf is by far my favorite sandwich stuff  -  I hardly ever make a meatloaf, usually make two, one fer the table & one fer the fridge.

Wouldn't work at Sargent, they'd eat both of them.

[Texas Lawdog]

Yessir!

[Stu Kettle]

Wouldn't work at Sargent, they'd eat both of them.

Same problem at home - that's why I don't put it on the table.  Gotta hide in the kitchen till its cool enough ta hide in the fridge.

[Camille Eonich]

I've been mincing up mushrooms stems and putting it in my meat loaf and stuffed peppers lately.  Gives it lots of moisture.  I don't like whole mushrooms or slices in meatloaf though.

[Mogorilla]

I actually dry my mushroom stems, then when dry grind them in a powder.  Mixes well in sauces and gives great flavor from something you were going to toss anyway.

[Delmonico]

I actually dry my mushroom stems, then when dry grind them in a powder.  Mixes well in sauces and gives great flavor from something you were going to toss anyway.

I'm not talking about dried mushrooms.

[Stu Kettle]

I'm not talking about dried mushrooms.

& I don't reccomend eating the either - 'specially around the fire

[Delmonico]

& I don't reccomend eating the either - 'specially around the fire

Oh the fire is way cool then.

[Stu Kettle]

Oh the fire is way cool then.

Yeah, I know it looks cool, but it'll still burn ya

I'm cooking meatloaf right now - got 7 wide mouth quarts in he pressure canner. Got the idea from YouTube. Hope it turns out good, looking forward to having sandwich ready meatloaf on the pantry shelf at all times. If I don't turn out it can always go in hash.

[Delmonico]

Some day when i got time I'll have to tell you about the canned corn bread.   It worked for what was wanted.

[Major 2]

I made your meatloaf tonight....

WOW  wow  WOW  wow   WOW

[Delmonico]

OK, the story of the "canned" corn bread.  I had some home canned ham and beans I took to deer camp.  My brother who is a smart arse at times, (I trained him well) asked if I had canned corn bread to go with it.

The next year a day or so before I left I made some batter, i poured it in 3 or 4 quart wide mouth jars, about 1/2 full and baked it.  While it was hot I popped lids and rings on them and as they cooled, they sealed.   

Well, the "where's the canned corn bread was uttered again when I was unpacking.  You should have seen the look on his face when I produced it.  Even funnier was him scraping it out of the jars to put in his ham and beans.

BTW the jars are a PIA to wash afterwards.

[Texas Lawdog]

Del, You're just a bad influence on folks.

[Delmonico]

Del, You're just a bad influence on folks.

Yep, I just finished the one one the beef and noodles.