Korean · main

Gochujang-Glazed Meatloaf

Gochujang-Glazed Meatloaf reads umami 7.0, richness 6.0 and salinity 4.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Korean main, about 1 hr 19 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Richness 6.0 · Salinity 4.7 · Allium 4.3 · Sweetness 4.0 · Heat 3.5 · Nutty 3.4 · Funk & Ferment 3.4 · Sourness 2.8 · Warm Spice 2.3 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Earthy 1.3 · Floral 1.1 · Bitterness 0.9

What's in it (16)

Time & effort: about 1 hr 19 min (1 hr 4 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 166.7 kcal, 15.4 g protein, 4.4 g fat, 16.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and mist the rack with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, stir the panko into the milk and let stand until the crumbs absorb the liquid, 2-3 minutes.
  3. Heat 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger; saute, stirring often, until softened and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes so it won't cook the eggs.
  4. Add the ground beef, eggs, cooled onion mixture, 2 tablespoons of the gochujang, the soy sauce, the remaining sesame oil, the salt, and the pepper to the panade. Mix gently with your hands just until evenly combined and no streaks of egg remain; overworking the meat here is what makes meatloaf dense.
  5. Turn the mixture onto the prepared rack and shape into a 9-by-5-inch loaf with straight sides, so it browns and glazes on all faces instead of steaming in its own fat the way a loaf pan does.
  6. Bake until the surface is set and no longer glossy, about 30 minutes.
  7. While the meatloaf takes its first bake, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup gochujang, the brown sugar, the rice vinegar, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring, until glossy and slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.
  8. Brush the meatloaf with half the glaze and bake 10 minutes.
  9. Brush with the remaining glaze and continue baking until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads 160F, another 10-15 minutes.
  10. Let the meatloaf rest 10 minutes so the juices reset, then scatter with the scallions and slice.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.