Meatloaf that slices instead of crumbling

The crumbs have to drink the milk before they meet the beef. Dry breadcrumbs pull moisture out of the meat while it bakes, and the loaf comes out tight and dry even when you did not overcook it. Five minutes in the milk is enough. 80 g of fine dried crumbs is about a cup. Panko is coarser and will not soak the same way. If the mix looks wet and sloppy, you used coarse crumbs. Add a spoon more, not a handful.

Mix until the onion and crumbs are dotted through, then stop. A long knead makes the proteins bind like a sausage. The slice then bounces. The same thing happens if the beef is extra lean. 15 to 20 percent fat is the range that stays juicy. Drain a very fatty mix only if you see a pool of liquid before it goes in the oven. Do not start with 5 percent and hope the ketchup saves it.

Shape it free, not in a pan

A loaf pan steams the sides and you get a gray edge. A free loaf on a sheet pan browns. Keep it about 23 cm long and no taller than 8 cm, or the outside is done long before the center. The glaze is 3 tablespoons of ketchup and 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar. It is a coat, not a soup. Too much runs off and burns on the tray.

175°C. Pull it at 70°C in the center, not when the clock says 55 minutes. A thin loaf is done sooner. A cold mix from the fridge takes longer. Rest 10 minutes. Cut it hot and the slices slump. The juices settle while it sits.

Worcestershire is doing real work here. If you are out, the Worcestershire substitutes page has the ratios. Soy sauce is closer than skipping it. The egg is the binder. One is enough for 900 g of beef. Two makes it cakey. See egg substitutes only if you have to.

Leftovers keep four days. A cold slice in a sandwich the next day is the point of making extra. Freeze slices for three months.