Spicy BBQ Meatloaf

With Tom Johnson

Tom Johnson of Catch 22 knows a lot about making great comfort foods and offers a good lesson here in how to cook a moist meatloaf or for that matter a hamburger patty. First, handle the meat gently when mixing and second, do not press together too much because you will press out the holes in the mixture where the juices from the meat need to settle while cooking. Another technique for his meatloaf is to cook it as individual hamburger style patties that are seared in a pan and then finished in the oven. The searing first also allows them to retain more of the moisture.This video was filmed in the Doyon's Kitchen & Appliance Showroom at the Doyon's location in Gloucester, MA. You can obtain more information at their web site; www.doyonsappliance.com

Ingredients

1 pound pork butt
1 ½ pounds ground beef
½ red pepper
½ green bell pepper
1 onion
4 slices white bread
3 cloves garlic
4 ounces parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon tarragon
½ tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 eggs
1 teaspoon blended oil

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients except pork and beef in a food processor until fully chopped.
2. Add the mixture from the food processor with the pork and beef to mixer with paddle attachment.
3. Mix all ingredients together on low speed, taking care not to over mix.
4. Form into 10 ounce portions, then pan sear in a sauté pan on medium high heat with a teaspoon of blended oil in the pan.
5. Bake in a 250-degree F. oven for 25 miniutes until cooked through, but not overcooked.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Tom Johnson, Catch 22, 2011.

The best way to describe Tom Johnson’s food, according to him, is “comfort food with a flare.”

Chef Tom Johnson, 38, grew up in Gloucester, Massachusetts. His first restaurant jobs include Charlie’s Place, Caption’s Courageous, and McT’s. In his twenties, he moved to Portland, Maine to pursue a career in kitchen management. Then, in his thirties, he made a choice to go after a degree in culinary arts. In 2006, he graduated from the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) in Vermont. He completed his culinary internship with James Beard Award Winning Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier of Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine. Tom assisted in the opening of and became the Sous Chef of their sister restaurant, MC Perkins Cove, also in Ogunquit.

Chef Tom has many years experience opening and operating restaurants. He recently moved back to Gloucester in an effort to assist in the opening of a new restaurant on the north shore, Catch 22. Chef Tom is dedicated to providing a product that is of the up most quality and consistent.