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Peachy the Magazine

Meat Loaf with Herb Gravy, Down-Home Style

This recipe is featured in our July 2015 Food + Entertaining article, On the Go with Lorraine Wallace.

Meat Loaf with Herb Gravy
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Meat Loaf with Herb Gravy

Course: Main
Servings

8

servings

ingredients

  • For the meat loaves:

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 2 large eggs

  • ¼ cup tomato paste

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 1 cup beef broth, homemade or store‑bought

  • 2 pounds ground beef chuck

  • 2 pounds ground pork

  • 2 cups plain dried bread crumbs

  • 4 medium celery stalks, finely chopped (about 2 cups)

  • 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)

  • ½ cup finely chopped fresh flat‑leaf parsley or 2 tablespoons dried parsley

  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

  • For the gravy:

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

  • ½ cup all‑purpose flour

  • 1 quart (4 cups) beef broth, or strain some of the meat loaf’s pan juices and combine with enough beef broth to make 4 cups of liquid

  • 1 tablespoon dried ground sage

  • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

  • To make the meat loaves:
  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly spray two 9 × 5‑inch loaf pans with cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the tomato paste and salt and pepper until well combined. Whisk in the broth. Using your hands, work in the ground beef and pork along with the bread crumbs, celery, onions, parsley and rosemary and combine; take care not to overmix.
  • Divide the mixture evenly and pack into the prepared pans. Using a butter knife or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke 6 holes in each meatloaf, as evenly spaced as you can make them, and pour just a little water into each.
  • Bake the meat loaves on a rack in the center of the oven until an instant‑read thermometer inserted into the center of a loaf registers 165°, 1 to 1½ hours.
  • Gently and carefully drain the juices out of the meat loaf pans into a glass measuring cup or gravy separator, and set aside.
  • Cover the loaves loosely with foil to keep warm and let rest while you make the gravy.
  • To make the gravy:
  • In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, and cook, whisking constantly to combine, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the pan juices and the broth, a little at time, to combine. While whisking constantly, raise the heat to medium and allow the gravy to just come to a boil; as soon as it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium‑low and simmer until slightly thickened and reduced, about 5 minutes. Strain the gravy through a mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in the sage, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • To serve, pour the gravy into a warmed sauceboat, cut the meat loaf into thick slices and place on a warmed platter, and pass them together.

Notes

  • The technique of poking small holes in the top of the meat loaf and pouring a little water into them ensures even cooking, prevents the meat loaf from drying out and yields more golden juice to make a gravy if you like.
  • Recipe from Lorraine’s cookbook, Mr. & Mrs. Sunday’s Suppers.