Veal Loaf
intro
Tender, juicy baked veal loaf with a glossy sweet-savory glaze, a cozy comfort food classic served best with creamy mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep oven and breadcrumbs
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a 9x5 inch (23x13 cm) metal loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving 5cm (2 inch) overhang on the long sides for easy lifting. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup (115g) dry breadcrumbs with 120ml (½ cup) whole milk, and let soak for 5 minutes until crumbs fully absorb the milk and soften.
Sauté aromatic vegetables
Heat 1 tablespoon (15ml) neutral cooking oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 150g finely diced yellow onion, cook for 4 minutes until soft and translucent, then add 12g minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove the skillet from heat and let the aromatics cool for 5 minutes to avoid cooking raw meat during mixing.
Mix veal loaf base
In a large mixing bowl, combine 680g ground veal, 225g ground pork, the milk-soaked breadcrumbs, cooled sautéed onion and garlic, 2 beaten large eggs, 2 tablespoons (30ml) Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon ground black pepper. Gently fold the ingredients with clean hands until just evenly distributed; do not overmix or squeeze the meat tightly, as this creates a tough final texture.
Shape loaf in pan
Transfer the combined meat mixture to the parchment-lined loaf pan. Press the mixture gently into an even, uniform layer that fills the pan completely, pressing out any large trapped air pockets. Smooth the top surface with the back of a damp spatula to ensure even baking and consistent glaze adhesion.
Apply sweet-savory glaze
In a small bowl, whisk together 80ml (⅓ cup) ketchup, 2 tablespoons (25g) packed light brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon (5ml) apple cider vinegar until completely smooth with no remaining sugar lumps. Spread the glaze in a thin, even layer across the entire top surface of the raw veal loaf.
Bake loaf to doneness
Place the loaf pan on the middle rack of the preheated 175°C (350°F) oven. Bake for 60 minutes, until the glaze is bubbly and caramelized at the edges, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest center of the loaf reads 71°C (160°F).
Rest and slice loaf
Remove the baked veal loaf from the oven, and lift it out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang to transfer it to a wooden cutting board. Let it rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes to allow juices to redistribute, then slice into 2cm (¾ inch) thick pieces to serve.
Tips
2.Rely on an instant-read thermometer for doneness instead of bake time alone: the loaf is ready at 71°C (160°F) internal temperature, which prevents overbaking that dries out lean veal even if your oven runs hot or cold.
3.Let the loaf rest for the full 10 minutes before slicing: this allows hot juices to settle back into the meat instead of running out onto the cutting board, keeping every slice moist.
Made this for Sunday family dinner last night and OMG it was a total hit! I added a little extra ketchup glaze on top like my grandma used to do and everyone went back for seconds. Even my super picky 7 year old cleaned his plate! Total comfort food, will absolutely be adding this to the regular rotation.
Brought this to my office potluck on Wednesday and people were hounding me for the recipe before I even left! It’s so easy to throw together the night before, stays moist even when you reheat it in the break room microwave. Way better than the boring meatloaf everyone usually brings. 10/10
Game changer for my weekly meal prep! I baked this Sunday, sliced it up, and paired it with roasted veggies and mashed cauliflower for lunches all week. It holds up perfectly in the fridge, doesn’t get dry at all, and is way more flavorful than the turkey meatloaf I used to make. SO good.
Super straightforward recipe, even for someone who burns toast half the time. The cook time was spot on, came out juicy in the middle with that nice slightly crispy edge I love. Only change I made was swapping the breadcrumbs for panko because that’s what I had in the pantry, worked great.
Wait, can I make this without the Worcestershire sauce? I have a soy allergy and I’m so sad because this looks incredible, I’ve been searching for a good veal loaf recipe forever! I’d hate to skip out on making it because of one ingredient.
I remember my mom making veal loaf when I was a kid and I’ve been chasing that taste for years. This recipe is exactly it! Not too dense, perfectly seasoned, that faint nutmeg note is *chef’s kiss*. I served it with buttered green beans and mashed potatoes, just like she did.
How well does this freeze? I’m trying to stock my freezer with easy meals for when our new baby arrives next month, and this looks like it would reheat perfectly.
Made this yesterday and it was so tender! I did add a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese to the mix because I had some leftover from pasta night, and it added such a nice salty kick. My husband ate three slices and said it’s the best thing I’ve made all month.
Quick question! The recipe says 1 hour 30 minutes cook time, but my oven runs super hot—should I turn the temp down a bit or just start checking it earlier? I don’t want to dry it out!
Tried this for the first time last week and I’m shocked how easy it was for how fancy it tastes! I used a mix of ground veal and a little ground pork because my grocery store was out of straight veal, and it still came out amazing. Served it with a side of glazed carrots and it felt like a restaurant meal.
OMG that sweet tomato glaze on top is a total game changer! I was just going to slather plain ketchup on top like I do for regular meatloaf, but following the glaze recipe here made it taste so much better. I even made extra to drizzle on the side for dipping.
I was so nervous to make veal loaf because my teens turn their nose up at anything that sounds “fancy” but they both devoured this! I told them it was “fancy meatloaf” and they didn’t even complain, asked when I was making it again before we even finished dinner. Win for mom!
Has anyone tried making this with gluten free breadcrumbs? My youngest has celiac so I have to swap out regular breadcrumbs for GF ones in every recipe, and I’m curious if it changes the texture at all.
Made this for our neighborhood block party over the weekend and it was gone in 10 minutes flat! People were coming up to me all night asking for the recipe, even the guy who brings his famous smoked brisket to every event said it was incredible. Easy to transport, feeds a crowd, 10/10.