Recipe: Venison Meatloaf on Crispy Potatoes

PREP TIME: 20 MIN. | COOK TIME: 1 HR. 40 MIN. | FEEDS 6-8

The mighty meatloaf is as divisive of a food as 6.5 Creedmoor is a cartridge, likely due to being over-baked, dry, and flavorless when at its worst. Cooked right, it’s among the best meals someone can experience. But a meatloaf can travel many a road, and not all of them lead to tastiness. But this recipe: venison meatloaf on crispy potatoes, sure does.

It starts immediately following the harvest. After killing an animal, each of us has a moment where we make decisions on how we want our meat to look and cook. For example, do you leave the silverskin to protect it from freezer burn? Do you add fat to the ground meat? If so, beef or pork?

I had a really big revelation when my buddy, Josh, made us a ground venison patty with no fat. It wasn’t dried out, had big flavor, and offered a sort of purity that was fun to experiment with. Generally, I incorporate ¼ of my ground venison with beef or pork fat, depending on what’s easiest to get. Then, I leave the rest as pure venison. Of course, in a pinch, it’s pretty easy to chop up some bacon and add fat for a burger.

Recipe: Venison Carnitas Breakfast Pastry

Without question, this recipe riffs on a stone-cold classic, using non-meat ingredients to keep it juicy. Eggs, sour cream, soaked breadcrumbs, and vegetables, are integrated into the mix to keep your cooking from coming out like an inedible rock (as long as you can follow the recipe). If planning for perfect slabs for sandwiches, use more egg and breadcrumbs, and sauté the zucchinis and onions before adding it to the mix.

As a food artist, I always look to put my own spin on things. The topping of a meatloaf is as important as the inside. So, I decided to work out something unique for this one. Ketchup, molasses, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce produce a BBQ sauce flavor. Plus, some funky fermented gochujang paste and mayo top the whole thing off. Sure, you might just cover it in ketchup or commercial BBQ sauce, but what would it be without a strange new condiment? Gochujang is spicy, funky, and adds tangy notes.

Here are the details you need.

INGREDIENTS

Meatloaf:

• 2-3 lbs. ground venison (or partially substitute with chopped pheasant or rabbit)
• 6-7 eggs
• 2-3 cups breadcrumbs
• ⅓ cup sour cream, Mexican crema, or creme fraiche
• 1 cup shredded parmesan
• 1 shredded yellow or sweet onion
• 1 shredded large zucchini (2 to 2 ½ cups)
• 1-1 ½ tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs (rosemary and oregano, or substitute whatever you find)

BBQ Sauce (For Top):

• ½ cup ketchup
• ½ tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. molasses or brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. Gochujang or other chili paste
• 1 tbsp. granulated garlic
• ¼ cup cider vinegar
• ¼ cup mayo

Double the ingredients if you’re really into sauce.

Note: You can substitute the above with ketchup, commercial BBQ sauce, or a dusting of garlic, chili powder, and black pepper.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line bread pan with parchment paper and butter.
3. Whisk up eggs.
4. Add breadcrumbs to soak for a minute or two to absorb the egg.
5. Chop up (finely) any whole meat being added to ground meat.
6. Add other ingredients, mixing with your hands until it has a consistent feel.
7. Cook a small amount in a skillet to verify the salt levels are to your taste.
8. At this point, add any extra seasoning you want.
9. Smooth the top and add rub (optional).
10. Put meatloaf in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
11. Or remove the meatloaf when it hits 140-150 degrees internal temperature.
12. Mix up the glaze.
13. Add ¼ of your glaze to the top and cook at 350 degrees until it hits 170. This should take about 10-20 minutes.
14. If the top starts to look too dark, lower your oven shelf or cover with foil.
15. Let rest for 20 minutes (covered in foil) and a towel to hold in heat.
16. Put remaining glaze into bowl for serving.
17. Carefully slide the meatloaf out of the bread pan onto its side. Flip up and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces.
18. Drizzle more glaze onto slices as needed.
19. Serve with peas, mashed potatoes, bread, and whatever else suits you.

Recipe: Venison Hot Pot

Interestingly, many people have nostalgia-inducing foods, and for me, meatloaf is one. My mother was a particularly talented woman, and the kitchen was no exception. Her cooking regularly convinced visitors they were totally wrong about whole genres of food because she was great at cooking everything … except lentils. (Sorry Ma — can’t win them all.) Her signature meatloaf was 100% Americana, down to the layer of ketchup slathered on top. Normally served with peas, mashed potatoes, and some homemade bread, I’d pile all these into a big sandwich. In my teens, I was a savage consuming thousands of calories a day after age 13. Drawing on inspiration from her recipe, and mixing in concepts of my own, I hope you enjoy this flavor-rich dish.

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