Glazed Brown Sugar Meatloaf with Caramelised Onion

⏱ 95 min · Serves 6

A proper old-school meatloaf: soft, juicy and packed with sweet caramelised onion, finished with a sticky brown sugar and tomato glaze that turns almost lacquered in the oven. Slices beautifully hot, and makes the best sandwich you'll eat all week.

Per serving: 565 kcal · 38.0g protein · 24.0g carbs · 34.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 80g fresh breadcrumbs (about 2 slices of bread, blitzed)
• 120ml whole milk
• 750g beef mince (15% fat)
• 250g pork mince
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1.5 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• For the glaze:
• 120g tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C fan / 200C conventional. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 10-12 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic, cook 1 minute more, then tip onto a plate to cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir the breadcrumbs into the milk and leave for 5 minutes to swell into a paste.
4. Add the beef, pork, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and the cooled onions. Mix with your hands just until combined - stop as soon as it comes together, or the loaf will be dense.
5. Shape into a free-form loaf about 23cm long and 11cm wide on the lined tray. Baking it free-form rather than in a tin gives you more crust and lets the fat drain away.
6. Whisk the glaze ingredients together. Brush a third over the loaf.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, then brush on another third of the glaze. Bake a further 20-25 minutes, until a probe in the centre reads 71C.
8. Brush with the last of the glaze and rest for 10 minutes before slicing thickly. Serve with mash and buttered greens.