Moroccan Inspired Meatloaf Recipes

MEATLOAF WITH MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute or two. Add the celery, carrots and ginger, and cook for about 5 minutes, adding more olive oil as needed to make sure ingredients are well coated and softening.
• Add the spices: cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cinnamon and salt, stirring well to mix. (You can alter spices to your liking, with more or less of those recommended or adding curry powder, nutmeg, allspice, black or cayenne pepper.) Add the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring well and scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula to ensure the spices don't burn. Once mixture is cooked, remove pan from heat and let cool for about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine in a large bowl the fresh herbs (cilantro, mint and parsley) and the eggs and bread crumbs. Add the ground lamb and the cooled mixture. Mix well with clean hands, until all ingredients are blended.
• Place the mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and cover with aluminum foil. Create a water bath by placing the loaf pan into a larger baking pan and filling the larger pan halfway with lukewarm water. (This helps keep the meatloaf moist by keeping the temperature more even during baking.)
• Put the meatloaf, in the bath, into the oven and cook for about 1 hour 30 minutes. After an hour, check the meatloaf, and remove the foil if you would like a firmer top. Bake until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. (This is a good time to toast the pine nuts if you're making the sauce.)
• Remove pans from the oven, lift the loaf pan out of the water bath, and let the meatloaf cool for at least 5 minutes. If there is excessive grease, carefully pour that out and discard it. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cooled, depending on your taste.
• If you're making the sauce, mix the yogurt, lemon juice and pine nuts together with a spoon, and serve in a small dish on the side.

MEXICAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a heavy skillet, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring often until vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
• In a large bowl combine the sauteed vegetables, ground beef, chorizo, and diced poblano chile.
• In a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, and eggs. Add the ketchup and sour cream. Mix well with a fork and pour it on top of the mixed meats. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and mix thoroughly with clean hands.
• Put the mixture into a 9 by 13-inch loaf-pan. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf registers 160 degrees F, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully pour off any accumulated pan juices.
• Meanwhile, heat a heavy skillet over high heat. Add the whole tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, and serrano chiles. Cook, turning frequently, until lightly charred on all sides. Peel the garlic cloves. Add all the charred ingredients to a blender. Pulse until chunky, then pour into a small skillet. Stir in the sugar, chipotle chile and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Cook until slightly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.
• Slice the meatloaf and arrange on a platter. Spoon the salsa-glaze over the meatloaf and serve.

MIDDLE EASTERN MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a bowl, thoroughly combine the ground beef and the lamb. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk and oats. Pour into the meats. Mix thoroughly.
• Add all other ingredients except melted butter. Mix well.
• Shape mixture into an oval loaf and place in a roasting pan. Drizzle with melted butter and bake for 1 hour. Serve with sauce.
• In a skillet, heat the butter. Add the onions, green pepper and bay leaf and saute until onion is translucent and limp, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients, except tomato paste and parsley, breaking the tomatoes into small pieces as you add them. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken.
• Add the tomato paste and stir well. Cook 15 minutes. Add the parsley, stir well. Serve over Middle Eastern Meat Loaf.

MOROCCAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Combine the lamb and beef in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and ginger and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Add the salt, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon, and pepper. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to release the flavors. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir the vegetables into the ground meat. Mix in the bread crumbs, eggs, cilantro, and mint. Transfer to a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan and set in a baking pan. Pour water into the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
• Bake the meat loaf for 1 1/2 hours, or until firm and cooked through. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Unmold onto a plate and slice.

MOROCCAN-INSPIRED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and ginger; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt, paprika, cumin, curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon, and black pepper and cook to release flavors, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Combine the lamb and beef in a large bowl. Add cooled vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Mix in bread crumbs, cilantro, eggs, and mint.
• Transfer meatloaf mixture to a 1 1/2-quart loaf pan and set in a baking pan. Pour water in the baking pan to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until firm and cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the BBQ sauce, if using. Combine ketchup, onion, molasses, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat; bring to a simmer. Cook until flavors blend, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• Unmold meatloaf onto a large plate. Slice and serve with the sauce.

MOROCCAN LAMB MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick liner and set aside.
• Combine the onion, oats, cilantro, mint, yogurt, tahini, garlic, allspice, cumin, paprika, and cayenne in a large bowl, along with 4 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Mix well to blend. With your hands, break the lamb into small chunks and add to the bowl. Mix gently but thoroughly; overmixing will make the meatloaf tough and dry. When all the ingredients are evenly combined, transfer to the baking sheet and shape into a flat loaf about 13 by 6 by 1 1/2 inches.
• Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F at the thickest part of the loaf, 55 to 60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the harissa and tomato paste in a small bowl. When the meatloaf is done, brush the mixture over the loaf and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
• Let the loaf rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing (longer is better, as the pooled juices will be reabsorbed into the meatloaf).
• NOte
• Harissa is a chile-and-spice paste that hails from North Africa. For a slightly different effect, you could substitute Asian chile-garlic sauce.