For pure dinner enjoyment, nothing satisfies a hunger for hearty, rib-sticking food and that call of colder weather like a good meatloaf dinner. Oh, there will be plenty of time and space to share our favorite winter-cooking project, which is soup, but that’s a different hunger plane entirely. A big plate, occupied in the center by a well-proportioned, seasoned and hefty slab of meatloaf, surrounded by a requisite mound of creamy mashed potatoes and all smothered with a beefy gravy is perhaps one of the best end results of cooking you’ll find.
We go with beef, of course, but in this case, we’re using ground Wagyu beef. It’s incredible, fatty richness not only makes a sublime loaf, but its rendered juice is saved to make a gravy that rivals any you’ll find (which includes our founder’s maternal grandmother Mae’s gravy recipe, one he maintains should be classified as its own food group).
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ½ pounds ground Wagyu, ½ pound lean beef or veal
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of breadcrumbs
- 2 T. finely minced parsley
The Mirepoix – Key
- 2 slices of bacon
- 1 medium carrot
- ½ of a white onion
- 1 rib of celery
- 1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 T. beef base – we prefer the “Better Than Bouillion” brand
- 1 cup good red wine
- Salt and pepper to season
🥩 Wagyu + Meatloaf = A Paradox
Wagyu’s luxury comes from its high intramuscular fat — that rich marbling melts at a low temperature, giving you its signature tenderness. But in meatloaf form, that same fat works against you. When cooked medium or medium-rare, too much fat liquefies without enough connective protein to hold the loaf together. That’s when you end up with an “expensive Sloppy Joe” problem.
🔥 Ideal Doneness
- Aim for medium-well (around 150–155°F internal temp).
That’s hot enough for the albumins and myosins (meat proteins) to firm and rebind, yet not so hot that you dry it out. - Pull it at about 148°F and rest 10 minutes — carryover will finish it beautifully.
- If you go rarer (140–145°F), it’ll taste exquisite but won’t slice cleanly. It’ll slump and crumble.
🧱 The Fix
To hedge your bet:
- Mix 80% Wagyu + 20% lean ground chuck or veal — gives structural muscle protein.
- Chill the formed loaf for at least 30 minutes before baking; this firms the fat and improves cohesion.
PREP & EXECUTION
Chop the veggies as you normally would but start with the bacon. Cube it and get it rendering in the pan while you prep the veg. Add the celery, carrot, onion, garlic, and a splash of wine, then let it simmer for 6 to 8 minutes — soft but not mush. You’re going to pulse this in a food processor, so think fine relish more than baby food. You’re coaxing flavor, using a mirepoix so tender it disappears into the loaf but still carries the memory of a knife. And don’t worry if a few bits of carrot or celery peek through later — they’ll add color and character when mixed with the beef. Better presentational effect.
Kitchen Miss: The Egg Fallacy — don’t just crack the eggs into the meat and mix by hand. TV cooks are so coded to the time-and-speed factor of an episode, which runs counter to the need to discern between cooking and crafting, not to mention the science of uniformity. Be a craftsman with your food by beating your eggs before adding to the meat and mirepoix.
Just Mix It!
You may have more mirepoix than you’ll need, so add only 1 cup for this recipe. After this, it’s simple. Mix everything by hand, thoroughly. Take the mixture and pack it smoothly in a loaf pan, spreading evenly. THEN – drop the full pan on a hard surface. Do this several times, to congeal it and dislodge any air bubbles.
From here, you slather with ketchup, right? If you do that, we’ll track you down and pelt you with a marshmallow cannon. We know…tradition demands you slather the top with ketchup or some other caramelizing agent to give it sheen and retain moisture. Please don’t. You have so much flavor going with this mix, including fat content that would make a Sumo wrestler proud. Save the condiments for your next burger.
Place the loaf pan on a sheet pan and pop it into a 350-degree oven and bake for at least 45 to 50 minutes before you begin checking on doneness. By this time, the fat from the Wagyu will have nicely rendered around the top (be careful it’s not already bubbling over, as you’ll be saving some of this fat for the gravy). Final cook time will likely be around an hour. Once it hits 148 degrees, pull it and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Gravy: The Gospel Trio
1 Tbsp fat + 1 Tbsp flour + 1 cup liquid.The gravy, as with all gravies, lies in the Gospel Gravy Trio: 1 tablespoon fat, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 cup of liquid. We suggest you use the “Better Than Bouillion” for your liquid (mix 1 tsp Boullion to 1 cup water). Proceed from there. You’ll likely get anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of fat from the loaf. Once you let the loaf rest for 10 minutes, carefully pour off some of the fat from a corner of the pan. Use the fat plus the beef base (e.g., 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon to 1 cup water). Whisk the flour with the fat, add the BTB liquid to smooth it, simmer to thicken, season to taste. Perfect.
🍷 Verdict
For a restaurant plating, medium is fine if you’re serving it like a terrine or spooned portion.
But for home cooks who expect clean slices, medium-well is the sweet spot — juicy, rich, but still sliceable.Food-safety note for readers: USDA guidance for ground beef is 160°F. Your medium-well guidance (150–155°F with rest) prioritizes slice-ability that retains juiciness.
Sources & Images: Emily Bites, Instagram, YouTube