Meatloaf is an American dinner classic made by baking ground meat in one loaf and slicing it after it rests. The secret to keeping it moist is a panade: bread soaked in milk. The bread’s starch holds moisture and slows the meat from contracting and releasing its juices as it cooks. Brush the ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar glaze over the top during the final 20 minutes; it forms a glossy crust in the oven. Meatloaf is often made with a blend of ground meats, but this recipe uses ground beef throughout.
Tear the stale bread into pieces by hand, press it into the milk, and let it soak for 5 minutes. The bread should absorb all the milk and mash into a paste with a fork; dry pieces leave white spots in the loaf.
Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil for 6 minutes, until the onion turns translucent. Let them cool; raw onion releases water inside the loaf and can make the slices fall apart. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, panade, eggs, cooled onion, chopped parsley, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Mix by hand only until evenly combined; overmixing makes the meat firm and the slices rubbery.
Place the mixture on a baking sheet and shape it by hand into a loaf measuring 25 × 12 cm, with a gently domed top. Do not use a loaf pan: a free-standing loaf browns on the sides, while one in a pan steams in its own juices. Smooth the surface with wet hands and seal any cracks.
Bake the loaf in a 165°C / 330°F oven for 42 minutes. By then, the outside should be browned and there should be cloudy juices on the baking sheet. Insert a thermometer into the center: ground beef is safe at an internal temperature of 71°C / 160°F, and the slices will still be juicy at this temperature.
Mix the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Brush two layers of glaze over the top of the loaf and bake for 18 minutes more. The glaze thickens and turns glossy during this time; if added earlier, the sugar burns and tastes bitter. Do not discard the juices on the pan; spoon them over the slices.
Let the loaf rest for 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven before slicing; cutting it while hot makes it fall apart and lets the juices run onto the pan.
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