I grew up eating my parents' ideas of what American food was. This included a meatloaf that was loosely based on the Joy of Cooking recipe, but could contain all sorts of other things, including a lot of vegetables. Here's my attempt to capture my Japanese and German heritage in an American dish. And you cook them on a stovetop, so they are much faster to make than a big loaf. 

Mini Skillet Meatloaves and Japanese Slaw

Author
Christian Leue
Servings
6, with leftovers
Category
Dinner

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups of grated peeled carrot
  • 1 1/2 cups of grated yellow onion
  • 1 Tbsp Riviera Herbs
  • 1/2 tsp salt or 2 tsp shio koji (shio koji will add sweetness and savoriness)
  • 2 Tbsp unflavored gelatin
  • 2 large eggs
  • Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp finely ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds ground beef (I like to use a pound each of chuck and sirloin)
  • 1 1/2 - 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
  • Worcestershire sauce or Tonkatsu sauce
  • 6 cups cabbage, very thinly sliced
  • 2 cups carrot, very thinly sliced
  • Japanese mayonnaise
  • Autre Shichimi or Yagenbori or Espelette (to taste)

Directions

  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil, grated carrot and onion, Riviera Herbs, and salt or shio koji. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and just starting to dry out, about 10-12 minutes. Remove to a large metal bowl to cool.
  2. Whip the gelatin and eggs together with a fresh grating of nutmeg (you can use a whisk or a blender or do it by hand).
  3. When the cooked vegetables are no longer hot to the touch, add the gelatin and egg mixture and stir well. Add about 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire and/or tonkatsu sauce. Add the ground beef and 1.5 cups of panko and mix well with a spoon, clean hands, or in a mixer with a dough hook. If the mixture seems too wet or sticky, add the remaining panko (it will depend on how much you cook the vegetables and on the moisture content of the meat).
  4. Test seasoning by shaping a small flat patty and frying it in a pan until cooked. Adjust the batch to your tastes with additional sauce, spice, sweetener, salt, etc.
  5. Mix the slaw and allow to rest in the refrigerator. Adjust seasoning to taste and add some lemon juice if you like it more tart.
  6. Form the meatloaf mix into ovals the size of a small egg (approximately 2 ounces each) and cook in batches in a lightly oiled pan with a lid. Cook covered for 9-10 minutes over medium heat. Then uncover, raise the heat a bit, and cook for 2-3 minutes more to crisp the bottom.*
  7. Extra crispy version: make the meatloaves half-size, then roll in a light coating of flour and deep fry them.
  8. Serve with tonkatsu sauce and slaw.

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