Sweet And Spicy Coconut-Glazed Meatloaf Recipe

Meatloaf gets kind of a bad rep despite being, basically, a giant meatball. Perhaps the reason for the disdain is the shape — unlike the round and juicy pasta-toppers, the brick-sized loaf is an unusual sight at the dinner table. It could also be the star ingredient, ketchup, that turns people away. The sticky condiment is an unlikely topping for an elegant meal. Maybe, most of all, it's the fact that meatloaf can so frequently be made incorrectly so that it turns out dry and flavorless — a crime for meat of any shape.

The good news is that we have a way to prove meatloaf is better than its reputation would have you believe, and it comes in the form of a sweet-and-spicy recipe developed with Michelle McGlinn. The meatloaf is mixed with Korean red pepper paste, gochujang, then baked in a casserole dish (à la Ina Garten). While the meatloaf is baking, the glaze comes together on the stove, turning creamy coconut into a sticky, sweet, and spicy glaze. Not only is this meatloaf a totally new flavor (read: no ketchup), but it's also perfectly moist, making it the perfect way to enjoy a classic nostalgic recipe.

To begin, you'll need ground beef that is high in fat, such as 80/20 or 85/15. If your ground beef is too lean, the meatloaf will come out dry and crumbly. Next, you'll need to grab breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, olive oil, scallions, garlic, salt, white pepper, and gochujang, which you'll need for the glaze, too. To make the glaze, you'll need coconut cream, brown sugar, and rice wine vinegar.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, breadcrumbs, and milk.

Heat the oil in a small skillet.

Add the scallions and garlic and saute until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the scallions and garlic to the bowl with the eggs, breadcrumbs, and milk. Add the ground beef, gochujang, salt, and white pepper.

Gently combine without overmixing.

Spray a loaf pan with oil.

Gently form the meat into the loaf pan, then flip into a casserole dish. Use your hands to shape the meat into a loaf, if needed.

Bake the meatloaf for 40 minutes.

In the meantime, heat the coconut cream, brown sugar, gochujang, vinegar, and salt in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat.

Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced into a thin jam-like consistency, about 30 minutes. The glaze should coat the back of a spatula.

Spoon about half of the glaze over the baked meatloaf and return to the oven. Bake for 20 additional minutes, or until meatloaf has an internal temperature of 160 F.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush the remaining glaze on top.

Let the meatloaf rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Coconut cream, often confused with cream of coconut, is a product made with coconut flesh and water. Unlike cream of coconut, coconut cream has only a mild sweetness and its high fat content makes it good for baking and cooking. It's a staple in vegan kitchens because it can be used in the same way as heavy whipping cream, sans dairy. It's also different from coconut milk, which is (as the name implies) milky, with less richness and a lower fat content that makes it better for sauces and curries.

Coconut cream is used in this recipe because it reduces down into a sticky, jam-like consistency and offers a rich coconut flavor similar to the Filipino coconut jam minatamis na bao or kaya jam. If you have access to minatamis na bao, you can use that as a shortcut, or you can use coconut milk in a pinch. If using coconut milk, skim the cream off of the top of the can, using as little liquid as possible for a faster reduction.

This recipe calls for baking the meatloaf directly on the sheet tray, a method used to cook the loaf more evenly and achieve a more caramelized exterior. You can do this without a loaf pan by simply molding the meat into a rectangular shape on the sheet tray, but using the loaf pan makes this fast, easy, and clean. You can also make the meatloaf directly in the loaf pan, too. To do this, grease the loaf pan and form the meat into the pan. Place the loaf pan on a sheet tray to catch any drippings, then bake as usual.

Baking the meatloaf inside the loaf pan allows the juices of the meat to pool in the pan, creating steam around the meatloaf. This is what often contributes to overly mushy meatloaf; however, if you prefer the texture of meatloaf made this way, then we recommend keeping the meat in the pan. To glaze, simply spoon the glaze into the pan. To serve, either slice the meatloaf directly from the pan, or flip it and glaze the underside.