Filed under: Food and Drink
P notes that meatloaf is the much-maligned subject of many a sitcom complaint. As in, "Oh no, meatloaf again?" Yet for an immigrant like me, American style meatloaf has always been a rather unusual treat. Almost exotic really.
Never, ever did my parents prepare a drippy, ketchupy, BBQish slab of cow bits. It was something only to be obtained at professional sandwich shop. Or, it would appear on certain menus, always accompanied by mashed potatoes and a pool of gravy. Like other junky Americana food (think Mac n Cheese or Spaghetti-O’s) meatloaf (and it’s messier cousin, Sloppy Joe) made my mouth water as a kid. It was stuff we feasted upon maybe a handful of times per year, like grape soda, grilled cheese, tacos. All stuff my parents did not appreciate.
Apparently angel food cake, Sara lee pound cake and cheesecake, rice pudding, fried and rotisserie chicken, string cheese, Enlgish muffins, split pea soup, New England clam chowder, and BBQ ribs DID overwhelmingly pass the Chinese parent approval test. Mom never fancied spaghetti, but pasta shaped like seashells became a fave. Dad forbade fruit loops and gatorade in the house, but made up for it by introducing us to French and Danish cheese. I am not sure if my Dad has ever set foot inside a Taco bell to this day, but he did bring Ben and I to the Mission in San Francisco for the best carnitas and burritos in the region, followed by those fabulous Mexican popsicles Sandia? Pina?Fresa? Todas bien.
Fast forward 28 years or so, and the only lonely cans of soda in our house are to appease guests. After glutting on cheap grayish meatloaf in delis and residence halls for years, I had sworn off it again, basically forgotten it existed. Who eats meatloaf when there are tofu pad thais, lobster ravioli, pear salads, and honeyed ribs to be made? Korean stews and gumbo to be bought. Who eats meatloaf when living as a vegetarian (as I once was)?
P’s friend makes a mean, muy popular meatloaf that he brought to some of our picnic parties. But it is practically the size of a human toddler and bathed in enough honey and BBQ sauce as to almost qualify as a high protein dessert rather than an entree. Damn, it’s good. But I bet insects and garden mulch would taste real good with BBQ sauce ‘n honey too.
Recently I was flipping through Men’s health, hoping it would inspire me to get all buff for the looming spring race season. I noticed the ABS Diet recommending a recipe for a healthier meatloaf. Hmmm. That looks good…replace the cheap ground beef with superior lean and half with ground turkey. Instead of white bread crumbs use oatmeal or whole grain crackers. Toss in some eggs and herbs - voila! Lean protein with fiber (one can even hide some ground flaxseed in there).
As I mixed all the stuff together, I meditated on food. On mad cow. Back to food…remembering that mom used to make a Chinese "meat pie." In a round steel pan she’d mix ground pork with scallions, ginger, wine, season it simply and steam it solid in the rice cooker. Nothing at all like the red, baked, loaf shaped things from American establishments..but fragrant, simply yummy alongside one’s rice and veggies.
Tonight’s Abs diet inspired meatloaf dinner was more turkey than cow, partially organic and free range, and baked in the oven within a muffin pan. This reduces the baking time, but also produced a dozen cup like mini-meatloafs to sit neatly beside the beet salad.
Now if only I could come up with a simple way to make Mom’s exquisite "Pearl style meat balls"…
No Comments so far
Leave a comment
Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
