Why Butchers NEVER Make Meatloaf With Lean Beef (Juicy Every Single Time)

📖 41 years behind the meat counter, all written down: The Old Butcher's Counter, three books on buying meat (At the Counter), cooking the cheap cuts (At the Stove), and cutting, wrapping and keeping it (At the Block) 👉 https://hankskitchen.store Why is your meatloaf dry, gray and crumbly? Most meatloaf is ruined at the meat counter, long before it sees the oven. Here's how a butcher fixes it. I'm Hank. I spent 41 years behind a meat counter running the grinder nearly every morning. In this video I'll show you how to buy the right meat, mix it the right way, and bake a meatloaf that slices clean and stays juicy every single time. Quick answer: Use 80/20 ground chuck (or chuck and pork shoulder ground together, about 2 parts beef to 1 part pork), bread soaked in milk instead of dry crumbs, and mix gently. Bake it free-form on a rack at 350°F (175°C) until the center reaches 160°F (71°C), about 50–60 minutes for a 2 lb (1 kg) loaf, then rest it 10 minutes. In this video: - Lean ground beef vs 80/20 ground chuck for meatloaf - What's really in the meatloaf mix tray, and why a gray middle is normal - Soaked bread (panade) vs dry breadcrumbs - Why overmixing makes meatloaf rubbery, and the grated onion trick - Free-form meatloaf on a rack instead of a loaf pan, plus when to glaze - Meatloaf internal temperature and resting - The butcher's mix: chuck and pork shoulder ground fresh Butcher's extra: Ground meat often looks gray in the middle of the pack while the outside stays red. That just means air never reached it. Judge it by smell and feel: a sour smell or a sticky, slimy surface means take it back. Chapters: 0:00 Why your meatloaf comes out dry #7 The leanest ground beef #6 The meatloaf mix tray #5 Dry breadcrumbs #4 Overmixing #3 The loaf pan #2 Guessing when it's done #1 The butcher's fresh-ground mix All 7 in one breath 👉 Subscribe for more old butcher tricks: https://www.youtube.com/@HankElleryKitchen?sub_confirmation=1 💬 What did your family always put in their meatloaf, and did it go in a loaf pan? Watch next: Stop Buying Thin Bacon — A Butcher Explains What's Hiding Under the Window [link] Hank's Kitchen shares traditional kitchen wisdom from an old butcher's counter. Hank is an AI-generated character. Food safety: ground meat must reach 160°F (71°C) in the center. Check with an instant-read thermometer, not by color. #meatloaf #butchertips #cookingtips