Make a meatloaf to go with a particular wine

[Jenise]

It's twoo! It's twoo! Most foods can be manipulated to some extent to create greater pairings with certain wines, but perhaps no food is as perfect a blank canvas as meatloaf. Almost any wine can find a soulmate in a thoughtfully assembled loaf of meat, seasonings and fillers (vegetables, grains, bread crumbs).

Let's talk about how we can make a challenge out of this. I'd say the first thing is to throw Mom's meat loaf out the window. The typical beef seasoned with Liptons onion soup, topped with ketchup or tomato sauce that will go with any big red wine. If I got your drift accurately, you were thinking more along the lines of 1) Choose a wine like reisling, say, or something off the beaten path like a big Bandol red, or an especially delicate pinot noir, then 2) Custom design a meat loaf that works with/plays up that wine's distinctive characteristics. Extra points for considering regional preferences and commonly-available-ingredients.

Do I have it right? Something along that line?

Wine: oaked Chardonnay
Thinking - De-bone a whole chicken. Boil down the bones and skin with celery, onions and carrots, then strain to use the stock. Run the chicken meat through a coarse cutter in the meat grinder. Cook some pearl barley in some of the stock and allow to cool. Mix ground chicken, barley, chopped scallions and egg whites and spread out thin. Top with small whole mushrooms, push them into the mixture and roll into a loaf. Roast until done (350 F for 45 minutes? check internal temperature?). While cooking, make a sauce with the remainder of the stock, some of the Chardonnay, more of the chopped scallions, reduced, and heavy cream added to thicken. Top slices of the loaf with the sauce and accompany with spaghetti squash (topped with EVOO and grated Romano) and green beans.
Well, it's a start. I doubt if I'll have time to try fixing something like this for a few weeks. I only do adventurous cooking on weekends and this weekend is corned beef and cabbage and the following weekend will be an Easter dinner.
EDIT: I'm picturing sliced mushrooms in each slice, like the olives in olive loaf. The cooked barley adds a "meaty" texture to the chew.

Sometimes, when I am in the mood for Pinot and my wife wants Turkey, I make a turkey loaf with porcini. Match made in heaven.

I hope I understand the concept and challenge put forth here.

While I have never tried this, and it may sound kinda weird, it definitely would not be considered traditional meat loaf and I am trying to think out of the ordinary.

The wine would be one of the remaining bottles of a red meritage I brought back from my most recent trip to Greece last year. The meat loaf would be based upon ground lamb and a little bit of veal instead of the traditional ground beef. To the meat mixture I would add eggs, breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, kalamata olives and fire roasted red bell peppers. Once mixed, I would put fresh oregano, kefalotiri cheese, fresh parsley and feta cheese in the middle of the mix and fold it over once into a stuffed loaf. After putting the stuffed loaf into the baking pan, instead of spreading the traditional ketchup on top, I would put some sautéed onions on the loaf and spread some tzatziki sauce over that. Then bake it until cooked through and enjoy with the Greek red wine.

Thanks for getting me thinking, Randy and Jenise. I may even try making this soon!

The thing about the meatloaf/wine matching idea is I think I'd rather not do a meatloaf at all. I'm pretty darn content with normal meat and wine matchings and the options there. I really prefer a purer meat with my wine. However, maybe I just haven't had enough gourmet meatloafs (assuming such a thing exists).

Bryan

The thing about the meatloaf/wine matching idea is I think I'd rather not do a meatloaf at all. I'm pretty darn content with normal meat and wine matchings and the options there.

Bryan

"Normal" meat.

LOL.

Meatloaf- comfort food - lazy winter Sunday food. Winey Meatloaf with mushroom and bacons and pinot noir. The bread 'filler' is soaked in the pinot noir (or whatever red wine leftovers). Mushrooms are mixed into the minced beef and thyme is added (we have three different types growing at the moment but lemon thyme is a favourite). Some whole grain mustard to add seasoning along with s & p. I line the meatloaf tin with bacon and bacon is layered on the top too. The juices juices soak into the loaf. Match to a savoury pinot noir.

BTW - I don't use onions or sausage meat.

I made my winey meatloaf last night, served hot and we finished it cold tonight. I found lamb mince when I got to the butcher, so used that instead of beef. A lot fattier than beef, mind you, so probably better to use the lamb mince in burgers or patties and cook on a grill or BBQ to let the fat come out instead of accumulating in the bottom of the meat loaf dish.
Used some dregs of very young (2007 vintage) pinot noir to soak the bread in - such a vibrant brilliant purple, but matched the meatloaf to another pinot noir. I like the flavours in the meat loaf but it was just so-so with the wine we served it with. It was quite a serious earthy Burgundy style but would the meatloaf would have been better with a more simple fruity wine to contrast the gamey flavours of the meatloaf. Oh well. You live and learn.