Bully-Proof Bacon-Wrapped Mini Meat Loaves
Bully-Proof Bacon-Wrapped Mini Meat Loaves
Yes, bacon is still a thing. It’s like how I have twenty-two shows I want to stream but find myself watching The Lion King for the three hundredth time because I know it will always deliver. Bacon is The Lion King—it never fails us, especially when used to wrap things that would otherwise be boring or even repulsive. In this case, it’s meat loaf, because meat on meat can mean only good things, and greasy pork will elevate anything, even if that anything was served during lunch in the middle school cafeteria during prime bullying hour. Sure, I may be scarred from the chants of mean kids who grew up to live in their parents’ basements, but I always had meat loaf on my side. And now I have a bacon-wrapped meat loaf on my side that childhood bullies can read about from their parents’ basements. Ah, the circle of life.
Ingrediënten
- ÂĽ cup plus 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 12 slices bacon
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ÂĽ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ÂĽ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ pound ground sirloin
- ½ pound ground chuck
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 ounces yellow cheddar cheese cut into ½-inch cubes
Instructies
- Preheat the oven to 400ÂşF.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ÂĽ cup of the ketchup, the light brown sugar, and the vinegar until blended.
- Set aside.
- Arrange the bacon slices on one of the prepared baking sheets in a single layer, leaving space between them.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just slightly crisp but the bacon is still flexible.
- Remove from the oven and set aside; keep the oven on.
- In a large bowl, combine the shallot, garlic, parsley, pecorino, panko, egg, 3 tablespoons ketchup, the Worcestershire sauce, ground sirloin, and ground chuck.
- Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper.
- Divide the mixture evenly into four 6-ounce portions and shape them into logs, 5 inches long by 2 inches wide.
- Use your thumb to make a small well in the center of the logs and place 1 ounce of the cheese cubes in each well.
- Form the meat mixture back into logs, completely enclosing the cheese.
- Brush the meat loaves with the prepared glaze, wrap 3 slices of bacon around each log, and place on the second prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
To ensure your meat loaf isn’t dry, you want to use a high-fat meat (something with at least 15% fat).
Make sure not to overmix your meat mixture; that will make it dry and dense.
Cook off a small portion of the meat mixture in a sauté pan and taste it to make sure the seasonings are to your liking.
Make sure not to overmix your meat mixture; that will make it dry and dense.
Cook off a small portion of the meat mixture in a sauté pan and taste it to make sure the seasonings are to your liking.
