Oliver Clark's Meatloaf

4.2
13 Ratings

Merrill Stubbs

Test Kitchen-Approved
Oliver Clark's Meatloaf

Photo by Julia Gartland

Serves
6 to 8

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to cook simpler food more often. This was great news for my fiancé, who is a real meat-and-potatoes guy. Knowing that my fiancé's mother's meatloaf is pretty much his favorite meal in the world made me more than a little nervous, so just to be safe, I turned to a recipe written up by Jonathan Reynolds in an article about his friend, the actor (and excellent home cook) Oliver Clark. The resulting meatloaf was certainly the most tender and juicy of its kind that I have ever produced, and I was assured that it almost—but not quite—lived up to my future mother-in-law's famous version.


Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • Salt
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground chuck
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground veal
  • 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 pinch cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  • 3 tablespoon ketchup, plus more for glazing
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoon crème fraîche (or whipped cream cheese)
  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Featured Video

Oliver Clark's Meatloaf


Directions

  • Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350°F. In a medium sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a large pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion has begun to soften and lightly caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until both the onion and garlic are soft and golden brown (be careful not to burn the garlic), about another 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

  • Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except for the eggs. Add a few good pinches of salt. Then, as Jonathan Reynolds recommends, "paw at it with two forks, combining thoroughly but not overmixing." Gently stir in the eggs and the browned onions and garlic, mixing just until combined.

  • Step 3

    Gently shape the mixture into a rough football and nestle it snugly into a loaf pan, patting it down so the top is fairly flat. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes, then brush the top lightly with ketchup and return to the oven for 10 to 20 more minutes. The meatloaf is done when the internal temperature reaches about 145°F. Let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience.

When you visit our website, we collect and use personal information about you using cookies. You may opt out of selling, sharing, or disclosure of personal data for targeted advertising (called "Do Not Sell or Share" in California) by enabling the Global Privacy Control on a compatible browser. See our Privacy Policy for further information.