Mongolian Meatloaf

Mongolian meatloaf

Mongolian Meatloaf

I could not be more pleased with how this Mongolian Meatloaf experiment turned out. Since I could not decide whether to make meatloaf or Mongolian beef, I decided to try both things at once. The result is a tender meatloaf, sliced and crisped in a skillet and served with a sweet, salty, savory sauce, which, like the American Chinese restaurant favorite, Mongolian Beef, is not remotely Mongolian. But it sure is delicious, especially served over steamed rice with bok choy.

I am kind of a fan of P.F. Changs. Its not a place I crave if I am in a city like San Francisco, but if I amm stranded with few good options in a mall in rural Upstate New York, like I was so many times while visiting my mom, it was a welcomed respite to the usual food court fare. I will also admit to using a P.F. Changs copycat Mongolian beef recipe I found many years ago in the occasional stir-fry. Its that simple, sweet, salty sauce which found its way on top of this meatloaf mash-up.

As I mentioned, Mongolian beef (or Mongolian meatloaf) has absolutely nothing to do with Mongolian cuisine. Apparently, its a Taiwanese dish that made its way to American-Chinese restaurants. But, horribly inaccurate names aside, this is an easy-to-make flavor bomb. I loved how this came out. You can easily adapt this to other ground meats (I think lamb, pork, chicken, or turkey would all work beautifully). Regardless of what you use, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly oil a loaf pan.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sauté yellow onions with a pinch of salt until they start to turn golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cloves crushed garlic and 2 teaspoons ginger, and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
  3. Add cooled onion mixture to ground beef along with egg, green onions, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, salt, and black pepper. Use a fork, spatula, or your hands to mix together until evenly combined. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan, press in firmly, and smooth the top.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven until an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 145 to 150 degrees F (63 to 65 degrees C). Meatloaf can be served hot, or let cool, wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes.
  5. For the sauce, combine 2 teaspoons oil, 1 tablespoon ginger, and 4 minced garlic cloves in a cold nonstick skillet.
  6. Turn heat on to medium-high. Once ginger and garlic start to sizzle, cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, then whisk in brown sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, ketchup, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low.
  7. Whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water togehter in a small bowl to make a slurry; stir into the sauce. Raise heat to medium-high and return to a simmer. Cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until needed (Sauce may be made ahead and reheated on medium-low heat).
  8. Remove cold meatloaf from the refrigerator and slice into 8 portions. Dust each side with cornstarch, and reheat over medium high heat in a nonstick skillet in a little bit of vegetable oil until browned and heated through. If surface browns before meatloaf is heated through, reduce heat to medium, and cover until done.
  9. Serve topped with the sauce; garnish with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro if desired.