What Fat Content Mince Should I Use For Ed's Mother's Meatloaf?

Our answer

Nigella's recipe for Ed's Mother's Meatloaf (from KITCHEN) is an American family recipegiven to Nigella by Ed Victor. The meatloaf contains onions that have been softened in goose fat and it is also wrapped in bacon before it is cooked. Both of these factors should prevent the mealtoaf from becoming dry.

In the UK regular beef mince (ground beef) has a fat content of 20%. We would suggest using this type of mince as the higher fat content will ensure that the meatloaf remains moist. Some of the fat will cook out of the meatloaf while it is in the oven, but this is normal. We would avoid using the very lean 5% fat mince as this could lead to a dry meatloaf. The other mince options usually have 10-15% fat and we would suggest trying to use one with a fat content of closer to 15%, if this is the only option available to you. Also, meatloaf can become slightly dry and heavy if the meat mixture is mixed too much, so mix gently with your hands and only enough to just combine the ingredients.