Crispy crusty skin on meatloaf - how?

[HeatherFeather]

This is something that I have been trying so hard to achieve and am not quite getting it right. I just can't seem to get a nice crispy crust on my entire meatloaf without burning it. My mom always made hers this way - no toppings or glazes. My BF's grandpa also makes his with a crust, no toppings.

Mom can't remember how she used to make meatloaf (she stopped eating red meat many years ago and forgot the recipe she used to use) and my BF's grandpa shared his recipe, but the instructions really didn't help us get that nice crust we want.

Nearly every single meatloaf recipe I have ever found is for the kind with a glaze or ketchup or BBQ sauce topping. I really want to master this - it is driving me crazy.

[Kchurchill5]

I only have one recipe without a topping and it comes out pretty crispy.
I don't use a loaf pan, mine is free formed. I bake usually at 350.

Mine has the usual suspects, egg, worcestershire, bread, milk, seasoning, ketchup in the meat, etc. Nothing NOT common. I really do do anything special.
I wish I could be of more help.

Grandma used to brush the outside with melted butter, I never did that, neither did Mom, but I don't remember hers being any crispier crust. Just richer in flavor. She always served hers with a brown gravy, so no topping.

[HeatherFeather]

I have tried free forming it and also using a meatloaf pan (the kind with holes to drain the fat).

The flavor of the meatloaf is fine - it is just getting the crust that won't seem to work.

I have tried 325 and 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours. If I cook it any longer, I end up with burnt edges, not a nice leathery or crispy skin.

I know mom and Bf's grandpa both use very lean beef, which is what I tried. Fattier beef makes it too moist. Neither use any toppings or bacon or anything to glaze it, with the exception of a brushed egg sometimes (which I tried, no luck there either - just made it a little more shiny looking).

I am going to just keep trying until I get it right.

[Kchurchill5]

I wish I could help HF. I have never used lean meat, always the generic 80/20, but I do like a mix of pork and veal too.

Hopefully someone can help

[Mary]

Have you tried cooking it at a higher temperature, Heather? What would happen at 400 degrees for a shorter time? Or starting it at 400 degrees for the browning and then reducing the temperature half way through? Or vice versa to brown and crisp it at the end of the time?

I would always make a free form loaf to brown the sides. Cook it in an open, low sided pan on parchment and drain any liquids when it's half done. An extra egg should help maintain the shape you want.

[HeatherFeather]

So far I have tried a glass 9x13" pan, a metal 9x13" pan, a broiler pan, a jelly roll pan with low but slightly raised edges, and the meatloaf pan (with holes in the bottom to drain fats).

Both the broiler pan and the meatloaf pan gave me the drippings I needed to make the gravy, the other times I had nothing left.

I will try a higher temp to start and see if that helps. My worst attempt was at the lower temp, even though that is what bf's grandpa uses. I did try popping it under the broiler for a few minutes last time. It helped a little, but I had to pull it out before it burned - it was getting to that point within a couple of minutes.

I will try draining the juices halfway next time as well.

Thank you both for trying to help. I know I will master this one day if I keep trying.

[Shadows1]

Have you tried turn on the broiler for about 5 minutes after the initial cooking?

[HeatherFeather]

Have you tried turn on the broiler for about 5 minutes after the initial cooking?

Yes - that is what I tried last time. It did help a little , although a lot of the juices started oozing out and the meatloaf got a little more dry than usual. I think the broiler could get the right texture, but I need to find out the right time to stop the regular cooking process to allow for it, so I don't end up with blackened skin, dry insides or raw insides.

[Mary]

Just a thought, Heather.

You are using lean meat, right? How about trying a very thin sheen of oil on the formed meatloaf before cooking it? Think about how beef fat browns up so crispy when heated to a high temperature. Adding a film on the outside wouldn't hurt the fat content, but it might help the crust.

You could try it on just one half of the loaf to see if there's a visual or taste difference.

[HeatherFeather]

Well, I tried the meatloaf again. Used a broiler pan and cooked it at 400F for 10 minutes, then reduced it to 350 for another 50, the under the broiler another 5.

I got tons of nice drippings this time and was able to get a nice amount of gravy, which got devoured with mashed potatoes. The meatloaf just got dark on the outside, a bit crumbly on the inside, and still didn't turn out the way our family members make it.

I had resisted adding an ingredient that my BF's grandfather said he adds (onion), mainly because my BF usually hates onion in things. I chopped it up as finely as possible and used 1 very small onion. Ugh... the meatloaf was still way too oniony. I think it helped with the drippings, but that is definitely not going to stay in the recipe for us. I had always added no more than 1/4 cup onion before, and I am going back to that.

So I will be be trying again ... sigh.