“What should I make for dinner?” I mulled the question over my first cup of coffee. I had a busy day ahead and thought getting a head start on meal planning for the day would be a good idea. It’s mid-June, summer is just a few days away, but temps outside are chillier than normal. “I know, I’ll make meatloaf and mashed potatoes” I said to the kitty on my lap, who immediately meow’d her agreement.
Mom’s meatloaf recipe was an oldy, but goody. Always a family favorite, it had elicited many a “yum!” from dinner guests. I’d love to say the recipe had been carefully crafted by some unknown ancestor and handed down, generation to generation. But, in truth, it was something my mother found on the back of a Hunt’s Tomato Sauce can in the 1950s.
What exactly makes this recipe the one that’s stood the test of time? It’s the juiciest meatloaf ever. The instructions call for the perfect combination of different ground meats in specific proportions and is topped with a sauce that is simply divine. Baked to perfection and served with mashed potatoes, it is a comfort meal fit for kings.
The ground meat combination, readily available at the A&P grocery of my childhood, was known simply as ‘meatloaf mixture.’ Today, like A&P, it’s gone. I’ve since found that using equal parts ground beef and ground pork comes close to the original. But enough of the culinary history and on with the story.
Out to the freezer I went, in search of the neatly and precisely measured packages of ground beef and ground pork that I knew would be there. I’ve always prided myself on having a well-stocked freezer, teeming with enough food to feed anyone, from my husband, to a small army of kids and grandkids that might descend on us at any time without warning.
Except today. Today there was a hiccup. Today, one of the major ingredients for this historic recipe was missing and threatened dinner disaster. Well, maybe not disaster, but you get the gist. There was no ground pork to be found in the freezer. Could I make this delectable dish with ground beef alone? I could, but it just wouldn’t be the same because ground pork added the fat, moisture and added flavor to make the meal the rousing success it had always been.
Enter the hubby. (You knew there had to be a hubby element, right?) “Hey honey, I thought I’d make meatloaf for dinner,” I lightly called out as I zoomed around preparing for my busy day. “I’ve left the ingredients and ground beef to defrost on the kitchen island. I’ll pick up some ground pork and put the whole thing together as soon as I get home.”
This is when I relay that, sometimes, my adorable other half does not always hear what I am saying. And thus, several hours later after the ladies’ golf association board meeting, lunch with a friend and a variety of errands, I returned home with the requisite package of ground pork. The ingredient list was now complete.
Opening the door I detected a sort-of familiar aroma coming from the kitchen. The ingredients that had been carefully placed on the island awaiting my return were missing and several large mixing bowls, measuring spoons and cups, cutting boards and knives littered the surface. A peak in the oven revealed a crispy, totally browned something that I presumed to be meatloaf.
“Hi honey, you’re home!” My hubby greeted my return, excited to share his surprise. “I made dinner! I wanted to surprise you as I know you had a busy day. I followed the recipe - mostly - except for one little thing. There wasn’t any ground pork, so I made a little addition. To ensure a moist, flavorful meatloaf I added a big dollop of Crisco to make it really juicy. That should work, don’t you think?”
I had no words. Seriously, I couldn’t think of a thing to say that would not make him feel bad. He had done a lovely thing, going out of his way to make dinner for us. Who was I to tell him that adding Crisco wouldn’t exactly do the trick?
“Thank you honey. You’re the best that ever was! I’m sure it will be just great.” Hubby beamed his delight and announced dinner would be ready in about 5 minutes. Tickled he had thought to make my day a bit easier, I set the table and awaited his culinary creation. I also put the menu for our local pizza delivery restaurant in easy reach.
© 2024 Annie Sokoloff
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