Mexican Chorizo Meatloaf

Mexican Chorizo Meatloaf

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Mexican Chorizo Meatloaf
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If there is a dish with a version in every country, that is meatloaf. In Mexico it is called Albondigón or Pastel de Carne. The basic ingredients are similar to those called for in the most popular American recipes, with a few variations. This Mexican Chorizo Meatloaf with Salsa Glaze ticks all the “Mexican Twist” check boxes.

Oh yes, this meatloaf is so moist and flavorful! The Chorizo in the mix imparts delicious moisture because it goes into it uncooked (no worries, it will have plenty of time to bake in the oven). The Poblano and Chipotle chilies pack a flavorful punch. And did I mention the Salsa Glaze topping it all?

Now, it doesn’t matter where we are, nobody likes a dry meatloaf. We must not overmix, for starters. And if we add an ingredient such as Mexican or sour cream to the ingredients, apart from the uncooked Mexican Chorizo, there is no way your meatloaf will be dry.

Mexican Chorizo Meatloaf

It is also very important to not overbake. Nobody can blame us for wanting to be on the safe side and bake ground beef to discard any possible risks. I am talking to you, E. coli! But remember, all these dangerous, harmful microorganisms that might be present in your meat are eliminated when your meatloaf reaches a safe baking temperature. For ground beef, that is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

In other words, get yourself a meat thermometer. It will put an end to all the guesswork that comes with cooking, baking or grilling meat, especially ground beef. You see, sometimes the meat can be pink but totally safe to eat. Some other times, it seems cooked but isn’t. Insert a thermometer, get a reading and have peace of mind.

Okay, back to the matter at hand. If you don’t know how to blister the Poblano chili, read the notes on the recipe. If you love Poblanos, here are some recipes that might interest you: Poblano Artichoke Dip, Poblano Rajas with Cream and Cheese, Chile Relleno Dip and Poblano Chile Green Rice.

It is worth mentioning that you can bake your meatloaf in a loaf baking pan or just line a cookie baking pan with foil, flip the bowl with the mixed Mexican Chorizo Meatloaf ingredients over it and form by hand a loaf and then bake it. I did mine by hand.

Mexican Chorizo Meatloaf

Yazzy
Print Recipe
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Fusion
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • For the meatloaf:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup red onion chopped
  • 1 unit carrot finelly chopped
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper seeded, finely chopped
  • or
  • 1/2 cup Pickled prickly pear (Nopalitos) What is this? See notes, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 lbs ground beef
  • 6 oz. Mexican pork chorizo uncooked, casing removed and crumbled
  • 1 unit Poblano chile skin blistered (see notes), peeled, seeded, deveined and cut into small squares
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp Chipotle powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin optional
  • 2 units large eggs beaten
  • 1/4 cup Mexican or sour cream
  • 1/4 cup Ketchup
  • 1 sleeve Garlic Butter Ritz crackers crushed
  • or
  • 1/2 cup Panko crumbs or dried breadcrumbs
  • For the glaze:
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic peeled
  • 1/4 cup red or white onion chopped
  • 1 10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, or
  • just the diced tomatoes if you don't like your food too spicy
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1/2 – 1 unit Chipotle chili seeded and deveined, wear food-grade latex gloves to do this.
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 F.
  • Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, green bell pepper or noplitos and minced garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, about 6 – 8 minutes. Set aside. Let them cool down a bit.
  • Once the sauteed veggies have cooled down, combine them with the ground beef, chorizo, diced Poblano, salt, spices, beaten eggs, cream and Ketchup. Add the Ritz garlic crackers (or Panko or breadcrumbs) on top and mix everything well with clean hands, without overmixing.
  • Put the mixture into a 9 x 13" loaf pan. Alternatively, flip mixture over a cookie baking pan lined with foil and form the meatloaf with your hands. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 160 degrees F (45 – 50 minutes, depending on your oven). Remove from the oven and carefully discard any pan juices. Wait 15 minutes before slicing.
  • Make the Salsa Glaze:
  • Sautee the garlic and onion in the olive oil. Once fragrant and soft add the tomatoes with (or without) green chiles, the sugar, mustard and Chipotle. Stir often and cook for 3 – 5 minutes over Medium-High heat. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Top the slices of meatloaf with some Salsa Glaze and serve with salad or mashed potatoes.

Notes

“Nopalitos” are  tender thorny cactus paddles popular and widely used in Mexico. They are also called “Prickly Pear”. In Mexico merchants remove their thorns, then sliced them thinly. The nopalitos are later cooked and used in different dishes, like this Healthy Nopalito Salad. They are also known to have many health benefits, particularly for diabetics. If you don’t live near a Mexican market where the Nopalitos are sold fresh, you can find them bottled and pickled in the International/Latino food aisle under different Mexican brands.
To blister the Poblano, rinse it under running water, place it in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat and blister the skin flipping the Poblano often, using tongs, to achieve an even blistering. Just blister the skin; do not burn the flesh of the chili. Once evenly blistered, place into a bag, let it sweat for 15 to 25 minutes, then wearing latex gloves peel it, devein and remove all seeds. 

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