Recipe courtesy of Elena Besser

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Meatloaf with Gochujang Glaze

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 1 hr 40 min
  • Active: 30 min
  • Yield: 4 servings
This is certainly not a sad, gray blob of ground meat. This Scotch egg-inspired meatloaf will elicit shock and awe — when you slice into it, you'll reveal perfectly cooked eggs. It's magic! In addition to classic ketchup, I added gochujang, a sweet-spicy Korean fermented chile paste, which creates the meatloaf's gorgeous glaze. It is also used in a bacon jam for an extra pop of flavor.

Ingredients

Meatloaf:

Bacon-Gochujang Jam:

Directions

  1. For the meatloaf: Fill a medium sized saucepan 3/4 of the way with hot water and bring to a boil over high heat. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with 2 pieces of foil leaving an overhang on all sides, creating handles. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Fill a medium bowl with cold water and a cup of ice cubes and set aside. Turn the boiling water down to a simmer and place the eggs into the water, one at a time. Boil for exactly 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove each egg to the ice bath. When cool enough to handle, gently tap the egg against a countertop or cutting board to crack the shell. Carefully peel away the shell and discard. Set the peeled eggs aside
  3. Whisk together the ketchup and gochujang in a small bowl. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, breadcrumbs, egg and 1/4 cup of the gochujang-ketchup mixture. Fold in the scallions, bell pepper and shredded Cheddar. Add a healthy crack of black pepper and a 4-finger pinch of salt (about 2 teaspoons).
  5. Put 1/3 of the meatloaf mixture into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan. Line up the soft-boiled eggs upright in the pan, pressing them lightly into the meat and spacing 1/8 inch apart. Press the remaining meatloaf mixture between and around the eggs encasing them completely.
  6. Brush 1/4 cup of gochujang-ketchup glaze over the meatloaf. Reserve the remaining glaze for serving.
  7. Bake the meatloaf for 60 to 75 minutes. Meanwhile make the jam.
  8. For the bacon-gochujang jam: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot or high-sided skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until golden-brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain out some bacon fat, reserving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet.
  9. Add the sliced onions, season with 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine and coat the onions in bacon fat. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring every few minutes, until slightly caramelized and starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the gochujang. Stir to coat the onion mixture and cook for 1 minute. Add the orange juice, maple syrup and vinegar. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until the onions are jammy and the liquid has reduced, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Cook’s Note

Save the extra bacon fat from the bacon jam for your next cooking project. Bacon fat potatoes or French fries? Yes, please!