Gluten- Free Grass-fed Meatloaf

At the American Grassfed Association’s conference this past February they served us lunch catered by the University of Kentucky and believe it or not they use local meats when available and for us they created a grass-fed meatloaf sandwich. They served it cold, on beautiful bread with sweet pickle relish and crisp lettuce. I am not sure whether meatloaf sandwiches are a bluegrass thing but they were so good. Also, it is a great way to incorporate ground grass-fed beef into lunch.

Kentucky impressed me in that they seemed to have not forgotten their farm roots and the fact that the UK kitchen’s catering service serves an excellent grass-fed meat loaf tells you how special the region is.

Meatloaf is so incredibly simple and easy to make that you might not think it would be dinner party fare but if you use meat from your favorite local farmer it can be 'fancy.' Or at the very least it will make for a neat story. It also a relatively inexpensive way to incorporate more farm fresh meats into your week. This version is gluten-free but it can be easily made with regular bread and soy sauce. It is by no means traditional but I have been really enjoying ground coriander and paprika with our grass-fed beef so I add them to our steaks and now meatloaf. I also had a few ramps left over from foraging. In the summer I might add chives and parsley or whatever is in season.

Gluten- Free Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean beef
• 1 -gluten free slice of bread soaked in milk
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 ramps (if in season) otherwise a handful of parsley or chives would suffice
• 1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 egg

For topping:

• 1/4 cup of organic ketchup
• honey to drizzle on top

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. In a pan sauté garlic, onion and ramps until soft and fragrant.
3. Soak bread and add to ground beef, and then add sautéed onions and garlic.
4. Add spices and soy sauce and salt.
5. Add egg and mix. Add to baking pan and top with ketchup and honey.
6. Cook for an hour or until done.
7. Enjoy!

This makes an EXCELLENT sandwich the next day!