Sous Vide Meatloaf w/ Maple Bourbon Glaze – Ultimate Comfort Food

Sous Vide Meatloaf with maple bourbon glaze

Sous vide meatloaf is a modern spin on the classic comfort dish. Many of us, including myself, grew up eating meatloaf many times. My kids will have the same memories because this dish is often requested. The reason it’s requested so frequently is because, with the help of sous vide, it comes out perfect every time.

I prefer using the sous vide method to cook my meatloaf because it’s foolproof. Period. It’s never dry and overdone, or conversely, underdone and raw in the middle. The doneness is ideal from edge to edge, consistently, every time I cook sous vide meatloaf.

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is a French term meaning “under vacuum”. It’s a cooking method where the food is placed under vacuum, in a vacuum sealed bag, and cooked in a water bath at a low temperature for a long time (usually). This is not boiling, I repeat, we are not boiling the food! We are cooking the food to a very precise temperature and holding it there until it is cooked all the way through.

In the case of the meatloaf, we are cooking it at exactly 148 degrees for 5 hours. That means that the whole meatloaf will be 148 degrees from one side to the other. Never overdone and never underdone. Perfect every time!

If you want to read more about sous vide, click here. Anova is the brand of sous vide circulator I have used for years and they know their stuff.

Cooking Tips

The best tools for mixing all the meatloaf ingredients together are your hands. It should take a few minutes to get everything well incorporated.

At this point I will place the lump of meatloaf in the vacuum bag, form it the best I can, and then stick it in the freezer for aabout 10 minutes. The reason for this step is so the loaf doesn’t become too deformed when vacuum sealing it. But, come on, it’s meatloaf, it doesn’t have to be perfectly shaped.

After the meatloaf comes out of the sous vide, I will remove the loaf from the back and place it on a wire rack over a baking try so that it can start to “dry up” a little bit. We don’t want all that excess moisture to ruin a good sear. Once it is cool enough to touch, use a serrated knife to cut it into rounds. Don’t be worried about it falling apart, it will hold together. I’ve done this countless times and it always stays together. The rounds go back onto the wire rack to air dry some more before searing.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and please let me know if you’ve made it. I would love to hear about your experience.

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Sous Vide Meatloaf with Maple Bourbon Mustard Glaze

Meatloaf is a classic comfort dish that many of us enjoy to this day. Using sous vide will take this dish to the next level.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time5 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beef, classic food, comfort food, family meal, meatloaf, sous vide, sousvide
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Sous Vide circulator
  • Vacuum sealer

Ingredients

For the meatloaf

  • 1 pound ground beef (sirloin (90/10))
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar)
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 2 tsp salt (kosher)
  • 1 tsp black pepper (fresh cracked)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

For the glaze

  • 1/2 cup maple syrup (the good stuff)
  • 2 tbsp bourbon (the non fancy stuff)
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp stone ground mustard
  • hot sauce to cayenne pepper (optional and to taste)
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

For the meatloaf (part 1/cooking process)

  • Set sous vide to 148 degree Celsius
  • Combine ground beef, ground pork, cheese, egg, salt, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, preferably with your hands.
  • Form mixture into loaf shape and place in vacuum bag. Seal bag and reform loaf as needed
  • Drop the meatloaf into the sous vide bath and set a timer for 5 hours
  • After 5 hours, remove from bath and de-bag. Let rest while preparing the glaze

For the glaze

  • In a small sauce pan set over medium low heat
  • Combine maple syrup, bourbon, dijon and stone ground mustards, hot sauce/cayenne pepper (if using) with a pinch of salt and pepper in a small sauce pan.
  • Whisk together to combine all ingredients. Reduce glaze until slightly thickened (about 5-10 minutes). Be careful to not burn because of the high sugar content
  • Taste glaze and add salt, pepper, hot sauce, etc as needed
  • Keep in pan over very low heat while searing the meatloaf

To Finish

  • Set a cast iron pan (or other high heat able pan) over very high heat
  • Slice meatloaf into 3/4 inch rounds using a serrated knife
  • Sear meatloaf rounds in butter (or your favorite searing oil) on both sides for approximately 30-60 seconds per side. Repeat once, if necessary, to form a golden brown and delicious crust.
  • Remove from searing pan and into the glaze pan. Flip meatloaf round to coat
  • Serve and enjoy