The Key to Great Flavor: A Concentrated Flavor Base
With the meat mix and the texture of the loaf squared away,
I shifted my focus to flavorings.
The base of carrots, onions, and celery made sense to me
—the three vegetables are a classic addition to meat dishes
and sauces for a reason—but when they are simply diced
and added to the meat mix, their texture doesn’t quite work
in meat loaf; I found it interfered with the velvetyness I
desired. How to deal with this? Easy, just chop them finer
and soften them. I used the food processor (already on my
countertop to make the bread crumbs and chop mushrooms)
to chop them into small pieces before sautéing them in
butter until tender, adding a touch of garlic and Spanish
paprika as well.