When Hubby first started working on the farm that he’s at, the milked cows there. Now they raise steers. With cows there is always more accidents and more injuries. Scenarios like this were somewhat common: A cow would be having her calf there would be complications that the cow would have trouble overcoming. The cow didn’t have meds in her so she might be taken for slaughter. They had a cow that slipped coming into the barn and broke a leg….some wouldn’t get pregnant. Often if they couldn’t be helped they were taken to the local locker and slaughtered. Because they weren’t “fattened” the meat would be best if it was ground into hamburger. Because of that there was ALWAYS an abundance of hamburger when the kids were growing up. In complete seriousness we likely had a meal that included hamburger 6 days a week. We got what we wanted free as part of Hubby’s wages.
The cows were eventually sold and the unending bags of hamburger ended too. Steers (bulls who aren’t in tact anymore) don’t go down in childbirth…don’t slip as easily and are much younger during their stay at the farm. Hubby still gets beef but now he gets a fattened steer each year. That means lots of steaks, roasts and such. There is still hamburger in the lot but not the hamburger to steak ratio that I had grown accustom to. Dishes I used to love making have gone to the wayside as there isn’t as much hamburger. For many people they would be so happy with the change…me, I kind of miss hamburger. It is so versatile and so forgiving. I can make a tator tot hotdish…cook it and leave it in a warm oven. Hubby can come home immediately or a half hour later and it’s still tasty. With steaks I have to cook them once he gets home.
Anyway, the other day I decided to use some of my precious hamburger and make out favorite old stand-by meatloaf, Golden Secret Meatloaf. The original recipe came from a magazine from the 90s that featured only hamburger recipes. No joking at all, I think I’ve made about 50% of the recipes in the magazine. I also have always liked this recipe as it was always a way to use up the applesauce I had canned.
Here are the ingredients all ready to me mixed together.
I only had shredded cheese so the meatloaf doesn’t have the chunks of cheese in it like it suppose to but it’s still so yummy. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it hot out of the oven and I forgot to take a picture of it on my plate. Instead I took a picture of left over meatloaf just before it was going to be cut up for meatloaf sandwiches….another HUGE favorite of mine.
I ended up calling Kelli after we had meatloaf. Her husband Jason milks cows and they often have hamburger. I put us on the list to buy some….I miss hamburger and what we get from our own critters is nothing like we get from town.
You got that right. People in town don’t know what they’re missing.
You and me both…I love meatloaf sandwiches. I’ll have to give this recipe a try. Thanks, Jo!
In my ministry cooking at church I get meat donated from a farm. We cook around what we get. That said, ground meat stretches farther so sometimes I grind up a road in my food processor. It’s a bit more like the mince they get in the U.K., but it works great. Just an idea since it’s so easy to do & easier to clean than a meat grinder.
That recipe sounds soooo gooooood! It is amazing what can be made from hamburger!