1 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion (about 1 cup)
1 medium rib celery, minced (about ½ cup)
2-4 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. fresh thyme
1 tsp. paprika
¼ cup tomato juice
½ cup chicken broth
2 large eggs
½ tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. minced parsley leaves
½ tsp. table salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 pounds ground beef
21 saltine crackers, crushed
Glaze
½ cup ketchup
1 tsp. Tabasco or pepper sauce
½ tsp. ground coriander
¼ cup cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat
oven to 375 degrees. Spread cheese on a plate
and place in freezer until ready to use.
In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, add
butter, onion and celery. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6
to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika
and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about
1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomato
juice. Cook, stirring to scrape up browned
bits from pan, until thickened, about 1 minute.
Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside
to cool.
Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until
combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and
let stand 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, mustard,
saltine crackers, parsley, salt, pepper,
and onion mixture. Crumble frozen cheese
into coarse powder and sprinkle over mixture.
Add ground beef; mix gently with hands until
thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Form
meat into an oval and transfer to a 10"
x 6" meatloaf/bread pan. Smooth top
and edges of meat loaf with a moistened spatula.
Bake until a meat thermometer inserted into
center of loaf reads 135 to 140 degrees,
55 to 65 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven
and carefully transfer to an oven-proof plate
or small serving platter. Turn on broiler;
heat to 450 degrees.
While meat loaf is cooking, combine ingredients
for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer
over medium heat and cook, stirring, until
thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread
half of glaze evenly over cooked meat loaf
with a rubber spatula; place under broiler
and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to
brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meat
loaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining
glaze; place back under broiler and cook
until glaze is again bubbling and beginning
to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meat
loaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing.