Buttermilk Meat Loaf

March. My birthday is in two weeks. St. Patrick's Day. First birthday since. I am not looking forward to it. My mother has called about it. She wants to host the full dinner at the three-decker. I have said yes. I cannot do my own birthday dinner in my kitchen. Let her have it. She needs it too.

I made soda bread Saturday — the raisin caraway. It was good. Liam ate three slices. Nora ate one with butter.

Spring is theoretically approaching. The yard is still brown and frozen. I looked at seed catalogues Sunday evening. I will plant peas in April if the soil warms. I will plant tomatoes in May. I am going to keep the garden this year. I owe it to last year's garden.

Linda called Friday. She invited the kids and me for tea Sunday afternoon. We went. She had made scones. She served us on her good china. She told Liam and Nora stories about when her daughter was their ages. They loved it. Linda is the third grandmother in this family. She has earned the title quietly.

The soda bread got made, and it was good, and that felt like enough for a Saturday. But with my mother’s dinner coming—the full table, all of it, St. Patrick’s Day and my birthday folded into one thing I didn’t ask for but said yes to anyway—I kept coming back to this buttermilk meat loaf. It’s the buttermilk that connects them, I think: the same tang that lifts a soda bread does something quieter and steadier here, binding everything into something that just holds. That’s what March asks of you, and what a good home dinner can actually deliver.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 1 hr | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef (85/15)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Preheat. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Mix the loaf. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, buttermilk, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme. Mix with your hands just until everything is evenly incorporated—don’t overwork it or the loaf will be dense.
Shape. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even loaf shape, or free-form it on the baking sheet if you prefer a crustier exterior.
Make the glaze. In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard. Spread evenly over the top and sides of the loaf.
Bake. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F and the glaze is set and caramelized at the edges.
Rest. Let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing. This keeps it from falling apart when you cut it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Buttermilk Meat Loaf — Something Solid for a March Table