Souper Freak

Friends, I’ve decided there are simply too many delicious things in this world to live on soup alone. I’ve recently bought a new collection of cookbooks from Cooks Illustrated and will be integrating some more variety into my repertoire. (If you don’t know about Cooks Illustrated, please school yourself. Beyond meticulously tested, mouth watering recipes, they also test and rate everything from the best store-bought chicken broth to the best food processor — just bought the KitchenAid 12-cup food processor at their recommendation.)

Last night I cracked open The Best Chicken Recipes and attempted Chicken Meat Loaf with Brown Sugar-Ketchup Glaze. I’m so sorry you couldn’t be there, I really am. It was by far the best meat loaf I’ve ever had! 

I’ve learned that there are a couple of secrets to making the world’s best (chicken) meat loaf:

* Free-form vs. loaf pan: Every other time I’ve made meat loaf, I’ve cooked it in a loaf pan. The problem with this, as explained by Cooks Illustrated, is that this steams the meat when what you really want is a nice crust across the full surface area. The secret is to free form a loaf shape, and cook it atop a wire rack (covered in foil) placed on a baking sheet. This ensures the full loaf gets a nice browned exterior.

* The glaze: If you know me, you know I heart ketchup. But this glaze goes even further: ketchup mixed with sweet brown sugar and the tang of apple cider vinegar. The sugar helps the meat caramelize when you put it under the broiler at the end of cooking.

* Mixture of meat: This loaf might have been just as good if it was all chicken, but I used 2 parts ground chicken to 1 part ground wild boar, both from SF Grill at the Divisadero Farmer’s Market. If you haven’t been there, get yourself to the market this Sunday! Then this decadent meat mixture was combined with a heavenly combination of yogurt, eggs, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and fresh thyme and parsley. Yum!

Voila! The secrets to making the world’s best meat loaf. Can’t wait for leftovers tonight!