Meatloaf is regularly on the menu in our household. To be honest, it was one of my least favorite meals growing up. However, when made with quality ingredients and with some trial and error of my recipe, it is now one of my favorites!
This meatloaf is the perfect comfort food for any season. It can feed a large group of people or is a great meal prep option for the week. It is delicious the first time but the leftovers can also be easily reheated for days after. See the section below for the best way to reheat meatloaf.
How To Find The Highest Quality Meat
As I said, finding quality meat is the absolute KEY to making good meatloaf. Beef and pork are my preferred meats, but you can also use venison, bison, or even ground lamb! Grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork will contain more vitamins and nutrients than grain fed. It will also be free of toxic fat which builds up in pigs that are fed the traditional grains and soy. Seed oils are also a major part of the diets of traditionally raised animals. Additionally, you want to ensure that the animal you are getting the meat from is raised well and is handled with care and cleanliness. The best way to do this is to find a local farmer who raises their own grass-fed beef and visit the farm. Many of these types of farmers will willingly share exactly how their animals are raised and cared for. Something that is not easy to find in corporate America where businesses cut corners. The Weston A Price Foundation is a great resource to find local farmers.
What To Use As A Replacement For Breadcrumbs?
The answer is you don’t need a replacement! It is a common misconception that some sort of bread crumb or grain is needed to make meatloaf hold together. I do not use any grains and have never had any issue with it falling apart. In fact, I believe many meatloaf recipes tend to get overly dry because too many breadcrumbs or too much oatmeal is added causing it to dry out.
Additionally, many commercial breadcrumbs are made with a whole host of pesticides, preservatives, additives, and refined sugars. Unless you make your own breadcrumbs, it is likely that they contain these ingredients. Even if you’re using something like oats these can contain glyphosate which is a hormone disrupting pesticide and naturally occurring defense chemicals. If you plan to use some type of breadcrumb or oat, try to get something organic and make sure to properly prepare them through fermentation.
How To Make Gluten Free Meatloaf
Gluten Free Meatloaf (Grain Free)
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Saute Pan
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 2 lb Ground Beef grass-fed preferred
- 1 lb Ground Pork pasture-raised preferred
- 2 Eggs pasture-raised preferred
- 1 Large Carrot diced
- 1 Stalk of Celery diced
- 1/4 Onion diced
- 1/2 tsp Rosemary
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Majoram
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- Homemade Barbecue Sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Add 1 tbsp on butter to a frying pan on medium heat. Saute carrot, celery, and onion until fragrant. About 5 min.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together beef, pork, and eggs.
- Add in sauteed vegetables and all seasonings and stir until well combined.
- Place mixture in a loaf pan. You shouldn't need to coat the pan but grease with butter if you prefer.
- Top with homemade barbecue sauce.
- Place in oven for about 1 hour or until the center portions of the meatloaf reads 160 degrees.
How To Reheat Gluten Free Meatloaf
Meat can be a tricky thing to reheat. Most often when reheated, it will become overcooked and dried out. Of course you can warm it in a microwave or fry it up quickly in a pan with some butter, tallow, or lard. However, my favorite method is to reheat with bone broth.
If you add a little bit of bone broth to the bottom of a saucepan, it will both reheat and keep it from drying out. Bonus that the bone broth also provides great added nutrients and makes the meat more digestible! Just flip your portion of meatloaf a couple of times until evenly warmed through.
Gluten Free Meatloaf Variations
- Ground Beef: This is my go-to meat choice for at least ⅔ of the recipe. Quality grass-fed ground beef is easy to source and relatively cost effective. It is also a fattier cut of meat which keeps the meatloaf from drying out and tastes delicious!
- Ground Pork: Ground pork is another good go-to for meat when you can get it pasture-raised. Like beef, it is reasonably priced and easier to find. The fat content also gives off a rich flavor and prevents it from drying out.
- Venison: Venison has been a new addition to my meatloaf since acquiring some deer meat from family. It is a leaner meat, which when paired with a fattier cut of beef, is delicious! The rich gamey flavor of the venison in combination with beef gives the meatloaf a deeper, meatier flavor.
- Ground Chicken or Turkey: While these are definitely options to include, it is more difficult to get good pasture-raised quality. Additionally, this meat tends to be extremely lean and less flavorful, but you could certainly mix in a pound of it with fattier meats.
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