Nothing Beats a Good Meatloaf
By Marni Myers

aaaa few weeks ago, I was prowling the aisles of the local Safeway grocery store, trying to decide what I wanted to eat for lunch and dinner that week. Like many single people on a budget, I often make a family-sized meal at the beginning of the week, divide it into smaller portions, and take the leftovers to work for lunch for the next few days, sometimes eating the same thing for dinner as well. (The downside to this is that I am absolutely bored with whatever dish I've made after about three days and therefore can't make it again for a few months afterward.) When I passed by the store's meat section, I had the inspired thought to make a meatloaf.
	a	aaaaGrowing up, meatloaf was considered the centerpiece of a proper family meal, often served for Sunday dinner. It was usually accompanied by heavenly, creamy mashed potatoes and some sort of frozen vegetable (usually peas), or sometimes a salad of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, and carrots, with the obligatory ranch dressing. My mom would serve the meatloaf by scooping hunks of it out of the pan with a big spoon, and then children and parents alike would take turns squirting little pools of ketchup onto their plates next to the meatloaf, for dipping. Ahh, those were good times.
aaaaI admit that I let my meatloaf consumption lapse for several years during and after college, not revisiting it in earnest until early 2004, when I had a sudden and inexplicable hankering for meatloaf during a long work trip to the Middle East. Don't ask me where this craving came from. Perhaps it was a form of homesickness--meatloaf is a comfort food, after all. I only know that I was compelled by some unseen force to make a large meatloaf within two days of my return--the first I'd made in years. I can recall few meals before or since that have been as utterly bliss-inducing as that meatloaf. When my friend asked me to babysit her two children a couple of evenings later, I agreed, but with some small longing regret that I wouldn't be able to have my cherished meatloaf for dinner again that night. What joy burst forth when my friend--who knew nothing of my recent meatloaf reunion--mentioned casually before walking out the door that she'd made me a meatloaf to have for dinner after the kids went to bed. aaaaMany variations on the classic meatloaf recipe have found their way into ladies' club and local church cookbooks over the years. I prefer the simpler recipes to those that add chunks of cheese, or seasonings not indigenous to the hardy folk of Western Europe and their mid-western descendants who invented the meatloaf in the first place. Regardless of the recipe you use, the most important part of the whole process is in the method of preparation: You absolutely MUST mix the ingredients in a big bowl with your own two bare hands. I don't care if you're squeamish or don't like getting dirty--you cannot have the full meatloaf experience without feeling the ground beef--slippery with egg and gritty with bread crumbs--squish through your fingers as you knead everything into a flavorful pink mélange before scraping it (again, with your hands) into a pan and tossing it in the oven. aaaaWhen the meatloaf is ready, it is essential to serve it with a big bottle of ketchup on the table, next to the salt and pepper. Drizzled over the top or dipped into on the side, ketchup is an absolutely integral part of a true meatloaf dinner. Take a moment to survey your handiwork, breathing in the aroma of the onions, spices, and of course, the meat itself. With your first savory bite, you'll discover what I was reminded of after my inspiration at the Safeway a few weeks ago: Nothing beats a good meatloaf.

Mom's Meatloaf

2-3 lbs lean ground beef
1 egg
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
About 2 tsp salt
A few shakes pepper
A generous dash of garlic powder, or a clove of fresh garlic, minced
About 2 tbsp ketchup (a few big squirts from the Heinz bottle)
A blob of yellow mustard, if desired
½ cup fine bread crumbs (recommended, but not essential)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Put all ingredients in a large bowl. With your (clean) hands, mix everything together thoroughly, kneading the other ingredients into the ground beef.
3. Transfer mixture to an ungreased regular-sized bread loaf pan (or 4-6 mini-loaf pans) and cover with foil.
4. Cook for 35 min.
5. Uncover and cook for another 10-15 min, or until meat is cooked through in center.
6. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving with ketchup.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Serving suggestions: Steamed green beans or asparagus, and baked or mashed potato are excellent companions for your meatloaf.