Hatsuko’s Meatloaf with Fluffy Potatoes

Makes 4 servings

Since beef was expensive in Japan when I was growing up, it was a real treat when my grandmother, Hatsuko Ishikawa, invited us over for a meatloaf with amakara (salty and sweet) sauce, made with soy sauce, honey, and vinegar. She made hers in a round cast-iron skillet and always served it with potatoes, which were tossed in the pan (with the lid closed) to make them fluffy. This recipe is enhanced with a miso-infused shiitake mushroom sauce, my own wafu version of meatloaf. 

INGREDIENTS

For the Meatloaf

• 1 yellow onion, minced

  Wafu Cooking: Everyday Recipes with Japanese Style: A Cookbook Sonoko Sakai

• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into ¼ inch (6mm) dice

• 1 stalk celery, cut into ¼ inch (6 mm) dice

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 3 ounces (90 grams) panko breadcrumbs

• ⅓ cup (80 grams) sour cream

• 2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk

• 1 pound (454 grams) ground pork

• 1 pound (454 grams) ground beef

• 1 egg

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, to serve

For the Fluffy Potatoes

• 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large 2 inch (5 cm) chunks

• Sea salt, to taste

• 3 tablespoons butter

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 teaspoon aonori powder (optional) 

For the Amakara Sauce

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon red miso

• 2 tablespoons honey

• ¼ cup (60 ml) sake

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 6 shiitake mushrooms, cut into ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick pieces

• 1 teaspoon water reserved from cooking the potatoes 

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).

To make the meatloaf, sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in a large frying pan until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and set aside to cool. 

In a large bowl, soak the panko in sour cream and buttermilk. Add the pork, beef, egg, pepper, salt, paprika, and parsley to the bowl with the soaking panko. Add the cooled vegetables and mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Shape into a round loaf in a cast- iron pan. Set the rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160°F (70°C) and the meatloaf is cooked through. 

While the meatloaf is baking, prepare the fluffy potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with a handle and cover with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the starchy water the potatoes cooked in, then drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. 

Add the butter to the potatoes while hot and use a spoon to make sure the potatoes are evenly coated. Now, close the lid. Holding the lid with one hand and the handle of the pan with the other, shake the potatoes in the pot until they are fluffy. This will take about two or three light shakes. Open the lid and transfer the fluffy potatoes to a bowl or platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and with aonori powder, if you like. 

To make the sauce, in a medium saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Add the miso, honey, sake, rice vinegar, and soy sauce and cook for  2 minutes. Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add the reserved water from the potatoes to thicken the sauce and cook for 1 minute. 

Brush the sauce on the meatloaf and bake for another 10 minutes. 

Let the meatloaf rest for 15 minutes covered with aluminum foil before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve with the potatoes. It will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

From Wafu Cooking by Sonoko Sakai. Copyright © 2024 by Sonoko Sakai. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

When you shop using our links, we earn a small commission. It’s a great way to support public media at no extra cost to you!