Seoul Food (Korean Meatloaf)

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As a child of the ‘60s and ‘70s, I grew up with comfort food. I feel very fortunate to have done, because that’s not so much the way anymore with today’s families serving more convenience foods than they probably should. Part of my comfort came from eating meatloaf. While I wasn’t keen initially, I grew to love it, because my mother allowed me to treat it like a hamburger, topping it with pickles, onions, and sometimes a slice of cheese. As I got older, and my tastes became more refined, I started making my own meatloaf, experimenting with various toppings, sauces, and methods. As a consequence, I ended up with a repertoire of more than two-dozen different meatloaf recipes, all of them tasty in their own special way.

When I was standing in line at the grocery store the other day, I spotted one of the store’s flyers. I grabbed a copy on my way out, and thumbed through it when I got home. A few pages in, there was a section on meatloaf, with a recipe entitled Seoul Food, that really caught my eye. Never before had I made a meatloaf with a Korean bent, so I had to try it. I did that this afternoon, and enjoyed it for dinner.

It was absolutely delicious! Wonderfully juicy on the inside, it slices like a dream, and is very flavorful. Comparing mine to that of the one pictured in the flyer, I suppose I could have used more carrots. I was grating baby carrots, so assumed that four would make up one whole one. Perhaps not. When I make this again, and I definitely will, I will add more carrots, and perhaps more scallions. At any rate, this is very good, not overtly ethnic, so those in your family who don’t care for ethnic foods will not turn up their noses.

Seoul Food (Korean Meatloaf)
Adapted from Schnuck’s grocery stores

1 t. sesame seeds
1 ½ lb. ground chuck
¾ c. Panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 large carrot, grated
½ green apple, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. sweet chili sauce
¼ t. ground ginger
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 T. honey
2 t. rice vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Add sesame seeds to a dry skillet and toast over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, mix together sesame seeds, ground chuck, breadcrumbs, eggs, green onion, carrot, apple, garlic, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and ginger, and press into a 9” x 5” loaf pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, honey, and rice vinegar. Pour half of the sauce over the meatloaf; reserve remaining.

Bake meatloaf for one hour. Pour remaining sauce over meatloaf and return to oven to bake until internal temperature reaches 165°, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand five minutes before serving.