44. Learn how to cook 10 traditional American dishes (2.5/10) - Meat Loaf a la Drill Site Manager (DSM)

A couple of weeks ago I headed south... very south, to a town called Laredo, right on the Texas / Mexican border to shadow our most senior Drill Site Manager on site and learn as much as I possibly could about drilling operations. While there I got more than I bargained for... Every night while out on site the DSM cooked dinner for me... grilled steak and twice baked potatoes on night, meatloaf and mashed potato the next and finally burritos.. delish, who knew DSM's could be such wonderful cooks?!? However the real standout was the deliciously spicy and tomatoey meatloaf - my first taste ever of this very traditional American dish. Well I couldn't help but ask for the recipe so I could give it a go myself once back at home... 

On site with Chevron at H&P 227 in Liz field, Laredo, Texas

I'm only accepting this as a half credit as technically the recipe calls for 'cheating' by using a packet spice mix (don't get me wrong, I love packet mixes... but i want to learn how to make recipes from scratch, with ingredients that I could, realistically expect to be able to come across almost anywhere and therefore be able to make the dish whether in the States, Australia, Indonesia, Nigeria... anywhere our oily expat life could take us)

The not so traditional spice packet from McCormicks

Therefore I am going to try and make this dish again from scratch, with a different recipe, but I loved the unique story behind this dish soooo much and it was such a tasty meal, that I just had to blog about it... besides meatloaf is sooo stereotypically American that I'm sure to give this another try at some point without the help from McCormicks!!

The 'Official' ingredients for DSM Meatloaf

Ingredients: 

2  pounds minced meat

1  packet McCormick Meat Loaf Seasoning Mix

2  eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup ketchup 

1  jalapeno, diced and de-seeded 

1  onion, diced

2 teaspoons garlic

1 small can tomato sauce / paste

1/2 cup medium picante sauce (salsa)

a dash of Tabasco sauce

Directions: 

Mix the McCormick Meat Loaf Seasoning Mix, mince, beaten eggs, milk, bread crumbs, jalapeno, onion and garlic in a large bowl, until well blended.

The ingredients, mixed and ready to go into the cake tin

Place meat mixture into a 9x5 load pan, ensuring that it is packed into the pan tightly, top with ketchup, tomato sauce and picante sauce (add Tabasco if desired)

Ready for the Oven

Bake in 375 degree Fahrenheit over for approximately an hour or until cooked through. Serve with mashed potato and buttered green beans for a truly authentic DSM meat loaf experience.

The finished product, minus the mashed potato 

I must admit it wasn't as good as the one I had on site but still for something so simple and easy it was pretty damn delicious... now I completely understand why its such a staple meal for hardworking mothers and wives in the States... little prep time, few ingredients, hard to overcook... and tasty!!