Glazed Meat Loaf

Complements: Cooks Magazine January/February 2006

3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 tablspoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 medium celery rib, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup tomato juice
1/2 organic chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2/3 cup fine bread crumbs (gluten free bread if you need to)
2 tablspoons minced fresh parsley leaves (optional)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds ground organic beef or turkey

Glaze:
1/2 ketchup
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoon packed brown sugar

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees.

Spread cheese on plate and place in freezer until ready to use.

Prepare baking sheet. I covered a rimmed cookie sheet with foil. I then placed a cooling rack (like you use for cookies) on top of the covered baking sheet and covered the rack with foil. Then I made large slits in the foil covering the cooling rack. This allows any extra juices to drip off the loaf and into the bottom of the baking pan.

Heat butter in skillet over medium high heat until foaming; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomato juice. Cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside to cool. Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, mustard, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and onion mixture. Crumble frozen cheese into coarse powder and sprinkle over mixture. Add the ground meat and mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minutes. Transfer meat to foil rectangle and shape into 10 by 6 inch oval about 2 inches high. Smooth top and edges of meat loaf with moistened spatula. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 135-140 degree 55-60 minutes.

While meat loaf cooks, combine ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes.

When meat loaf is done cooking remove from oven and turn on broiler. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meat loaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; place back under broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meat loaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!