Why does my meat loaf always have so much grease when I cook it? And how can I cut down on the grease?

Answer 1

If you are using regular ground beef or hamburger, your meatloaf will have a lot of extra grease. Using a two-piece meatloaf pan , as a few others have suggested, is one way to let the grease drain off. You could also set a wire rack inside a cake pan, and then set your meat on that. No sense in buying something that only serves one purpose.

Ground chuck, which comes from a leaner cut of meat, will still yield some 'grease', but not as much as ground beef. Adding saltine crackers, bread crumbs or croutons, or even mashed potato flakes as a filler, will help absorb the grease and make for a juicier, tastier meatloaf. This is my preferred method. It works good even if I add pork or Italian sausage to the ground chuck.

Ground round or sirloin are very lean, and can result in a dry crumbly meatloaf unless you add some other liquid, such as milk or cream. A friend uses mashed potatoes in her meatloaf to add moisture, and act as a filler.

It's almost impossible to make a bad meatloaf, so keep experimenting until you find what works best for you.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Use leaner meat. You can also add some oatmeal which boosts fiber and gives a good texture - you can also eat a bit more of the meatloaf because part of it is actually grain.
I am an obsessive recipe developer and have been working on my meatloaf recipe for years. My current favorite has a base of 2 parts lean ground beef, 1 part veal and 1 part lean ground pork. I don't like ground turkey in meatloaf at all, it really screws up the texture.
I've seen a recipe where the meatloaf is not in a pan, but cooked on a rack (you could probably sub a broiler pan) so any grease drains off. I've never tried that tecnique tho...

Answer 4

Use the leanest type of ground beef that you can find at your local butcher or supermarket there will always be some grease in the bottom of the pan with ground beef. To keep your meat loaf out of the grease use a wire rack with the smallest spaced wire that you can find similar to what is used to keep other cuts of meat off the bottom of a roasting pan this will allow the grease from your meat loaf to drain into the bottom of the pan and not sit in it.

Answer 5

Hamburger is made from su-it, which is the left overs from the steaks, roasts.and other good parts of Beef.
To not have much grease you have to use a very leen meat and learn to adjust for drynest by add a few pieces of Bacon, not only will it add favor but also some grease.

Answer 6

If you use chopped sirloin or the leanest ground beef you can find, you'll have less grease at the end. I prefer to shape a loaf on a jelly roll pan. That way, when I bake it, the grease oozes away from the meatloaf instead of the meatloaf sitting in the grease, the way it does when you use a loaf pan. Sounds gross, I know, but I promise you, meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes!

Answer 7

The best way is to use a two-piece meatloaf pan. I vote against using ground round or sirloin since these cuts will produce a meatloaf that is too dry. I would buy one of the other leaner cuts and not just the inexpensive ground beef, however. You need some of the fat for flavor and texture. The same is true for hamburgers. If you use round or sirloin they turn out like hockey pucks.

Here's a picture of the two-piece pan. BTW... you can use the larger piece for baking breads.

http://www99.epinions.com/Chicago_Metallic_2_Piece_Lowfat_Meatloaf_Pan_Bakeware

Answer 8

Chicken Rice Casserole ( double it and have leftovers ) 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces 2 cups milk 2 cups uncooked white rice 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup 1 teaspoon seasoned salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl combine the milk, rice, soup and seasoned salt if desired. Mix well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the chicken pieces. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes or until rice is done, stirring every 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and bake for another 15 minutes to allow the rice to brown. Serve with a salad and french bread .

Answer 9

Use ground turkey. Or after done cooking, set a plate over it and a bowl under where you are. flip the meat onto the plate, draining the oil, then put another plate over the meatloag already on a plate and flip again, then set pan back over meat and flip back into pan, you can put some spagettie sauce or some kind of liquid over the top and then bake for another 15 minutes, take out and let set for at least half hour. This sucks the juices back into the meat and also makes it easier to cut.

Answer 10

Hi...they do make a special meatloaf pan. I think Chicago Metallic does. It is two pieces and the top one lifts out with your cooked meatloaf and doesn't rest in all the fats. I also recommend using a leaner ground beef, and using a pound of lean ground pork also.
You should get better results.