Mexican Meatloaf

There is this little dance my husband and I do every time I decide to make meatloaf. It started back when I could purchase grass-fed ground beef for under $3/lb. Besides the bi-weekly pastured chicken for making stock we purchased, that ground beef was the only meat we ate.

So obviously, in order to get out of the soup-spaghetti sauce-chili slump, I put meatloaf on the menu. And when I said “Honey, how does meatloaf sound to you?” he would respond “No thanks, let’s have hamburgers instead.”

So I’d make hamburgers one night… and meatloaf a few nights later.

And every time we sat down to eat and he took his first bite he’d say “Wow, you should make meatloaf more often.” So I smiled and said something like “I’ll have to remember that,” and then mentally banged my head against the table.

Then we moved to Texas and promptly filled our solar freezer with 30+ pounds of our neighbor’s freshly slaughtered longhorn cow in ground beef form. And the meatloaf dance commenced – I asked about it, he said hamburgers, I made both, and he asked why we didn’t eat meatloaf more often.

Six months later we slaughtered our own longhorn and promptly filled our freezer with, you guessed it, 30+ pounds of ground longhorn (along with some less tasty, but still eaten organs and other bits and pieces). And again the meatloaf dance ensued.

I love that man, but when it comes to food, and just about everything else he does, he has a one-track mind. He’s also got a great sense of humor, which is why he laughed and said sure when I asked him if I could publish that.

So, in an effort to throw him off his game, I made this Mexican meatloaf. It incorporates something he loves – Mexican food – and something he covertly loves – meatloaf.

And while our little dance had a bit more cha-cha-cha to it this time, it still ended with “Wow, this is really good,” and me mentally smashing my head against the table.

Print Recipe

Mexican Meatloaf

Course: Main Course

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 small carrot diced small
  • 1 medium onion diced small
  • 6 small garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup flour or breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder or cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or other oregano
  • 3/4 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 cup homemade or prepared salsa
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef 80% lean

Directions

  1. In a large bowl combine eggs, vegetables, herbs, spices, and salt gently with a fork. With your hands, gently break ground beef into bowl with egg-spice mixture. Fold together ever so gently until most of the herbs/spices are throughout meat. Resist the urge to squish it all between your fingers as it will make for a tough meatloaf.
  2. Sprinkle flour or breadcrumbs over mixture and again fold in until just combined. Bring mixture together into a cohesive ball and then transfer to a baking pan or dish. Form meatloaf into a football shape 3-4 inches high and about 6 inches across. Pour the one cup of salsa over the top of the meatloaf and spread over top as a glaze.
  3. Place in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake for approximately one hour, or until a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees when inserted into center.
  4. Serve with beans/potatoes/rice and a salad.

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