General Tso’s meatloaf

  • Preparation 30 min
  • Cooking 1 h 10 min
  • Servings 6
  • Freezing Absolutely

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General Tso's sauce

  • ½ cup (125 ml) water
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) white vinegar
  • ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) white wine
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) Sriracha
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) fresh ginger, grated
  • 4 tsp (20 ml) cornstarch, diluted in ¼ cup (60 ml) cold water

Meatloaf

  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, cut in very small dice
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh ginger, grated
  • 125 g (4.5 oz) shiitakes, finely chopped
  • 1 lb (450 g) ground pork
  • 1 lb (450 g) medium-lean ground beef
  • ¾ cup (45 g) panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup (125 ml) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ tsp (7 ml) salt
  • ½ cup (125 ml) General Tao sauce, cooled
  • 1 tbsp (10 g) sesame seeds
  • ⅓ cup (30 g) green onions, diced, plus more for garnish
  • Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

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Preparation

  • In a bowl, combine water, white vinegar, brown sugar, white wine, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Sriracha and grated ginger. Mix well until sugar dissolves.
  • Pour mixture into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cornstarch diluted in cold water and mix well. Cook a few minutes stirring until sauce thickens. We want a beautiful coating and glossy sauce. Remove from heat and let cool 20 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of sauce for the meat mixture and separate the remainder into two equal portions: one for glazing and one for serving.
  • In a pan over medium heat, drizzle vegetable oil and cook onion, celery, garlic and ginger for 10 minutes stirring regularly. Salt and pepper. Add shiitakes and continue cooking 3 to 4 minutes to soften them. Season generously, remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, combine cooled vegetables with ground pork and beef, panko breadcrumbs, egg, cilantro, salt, pepper, the reserved ½ cup General Tso’s sauce and sesame seeds. Mix by hand until obtaining a homogeneous texture without overworking the meat.
  • Shape mixture into a meatloaf and place in a lightly oiled loaf pan.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake and cook about 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 155°F (68°C). Glaze the meatloaf 3 to 4 times with one of the remaining sauce portions during cooking to create a caramelized crust.
  • Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before slicing. This step is essential, otherwise the loaf will fall apart. Serve with basmati rice, garnish with green onions and a generous amount of toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with remaining sauce.