Meatloaf
A baked loaf of seasoned ground meat.
Last updated
Ground meat combined with other components, shaped into a loaf, then baked or smoked, defines the dish known as meatloaf.[1]
Quick Facts
- Known for
- Ground meat dish shaped as a loaf and baked or smoked
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
This meatloaf was originally served as a breakfast food.[2][3] Meatloaf became an expected option at American diners.[3] Food historian Andrew Smith identifies a recipe from the late 1870s as the earliest known version of the modern North American meatloaf.[2][3] That early recipe directed the cook to finely chop whatever cold meat was available, which Smith notes was most likely beef.[2][3]
The recipe also called for adding salt, pepper, onion, an egg, and bread that had been soaked in milk.[2][3] In Austria, the dish is known as faschierter Braten, meaning "minced roast," or falscher Hase, which translates to "fake rabbit."[4]
What the cited sources add
Chef Gavin McMichael, a partner in the Blacksmith restaurant in Bend, OR, has meatloaf on the menu alongside foie gras-stuffed quail.[5] The word “meatloaf” appeared regularly in the New York Times during the 1930s and 1940s.[5] A 1958 book, 365 Ways to Cook Hamburger, included 70 recipes for meatloaf.[3] There are competing histories, including the belief that meatloaf emerged in medieval Europe around the fifth century.[3]
Meatloaf became a staple of many Americans’ diets during the Depression, because it helped home cooks extend precious protein.[3] In the 1940s meatloaf was an emblem of wartime ingenuity.[3] By the 1950s, meatloaf was here to stay.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Meatloaf" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Zeldes, "Eat this! Meatloaf, easy comfort", Dining Chicago, 2009-09-02 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Meatloaf" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "A Brief History of Meatloaf", Bon Appétit, 2017-03-06 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "A Brief History of Meatloaf", Bon Appétit, 2017-03-06. facts only, no text reused. bonappetit.com
- Wikipedia, "Meatloaf" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Beer, "Austrian Cooking and Baking", Dover Publications, 1975, p. 56; "Recipe for Austrian Meatloaf", www.austria.info (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Meatloaf Gaining Popularity among Food Connoisseurs", www.buzzle.com. facts only, no text reused. buzzle.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Meatloaf (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
Also in the Codexery
More in Cooking Techniques
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Meatloaf (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced