This simple recipe for flavorful pork meatloaf is perfect for Sunday lunch, but it's also quick enough to make a weeknight meal that the whole family will enjoy. Continue reading because I include helpful tips in the recipe to ensure that the meatloaf has a crispy top and a deliciously moist interior!
➜ About the recipe
The original recipe comes from the Czech Republic, where meatloaf is called "sekaná." We Czechs bake meatloaf in the oven on a baking sheet for the crispier edges and do not top the dish with any glaze or BBQ sauce on its surface.
In addition to ground pork, the classic meatloaf includes crushed garlic and dried marjoram, breadcrumbs, and cold milk. Eggs are added for perfect consistency and texture.
Sliced pork meatloaf pairs well with boiled or mashed potatoes and the Czech dill pickles. For many Czechs, meatloaf is their absolute favorite comfort food!
MY TIP: Try out these pan-fried ground pork patties! (Czech vepřenky)
➜ Ingredients
To make homemade meatloaf with ground pork, you will need:
- Plain ground pork; it is fattier than beef, so your meatloaf will be beautifully succulent. Either mince the meat yourself on a grinder or buy ground meat from the store.
- Whole milk; cold. Meatloaf can absorb a lot of liquid, which makes it juicy and moist. The milk needs to be cold so that the meat mixture doesn't get too warm when stirred with your hands. Expect your hands to get cold while processing the meat. Rinse them with warm to hot water immediately after you've done your work.
- Breadcrumbs; made from dried, plain white bread (not Panko breadcrumbs)
- Garlic; fresh cloves peeled and finely crushed
- Marjoram; dried - a typical Czech herb
- Eggs; for better consistency
- Salt
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
Baking pan: I don't bake the meatloaf in a special meatloaf pan but on a rimmed baking sheet.
➜ Instructions with photos
STEP 1: Place the ground meat in a large mixing bowl, pour in cold milk, and add bread crumbs, eggs, and crushed garlic cloves. Season with salt and dried marjoram.
STEP 2: Combine the mixture first coarsely with a fork, and then mash with your hands to a smooth, almost mushy mass. Be fair and do not replace the human hand with any modern kitchen appliance. The mixture needs to be thorough yet quickly kneaded with your fingers. The finished meaty mass must be cold, not too warm from processing.
STEP 3: If you are unsure if the meatloaf mixture is properly seasoned, fry a small patty in a pan and taste. Season to your liking if necessary.
STEP 4: Shape the well-kneaded and seasoned mixture into loaves, banging them a little on the work surface to help the meat sit down and remove any air bubbles inside.
If the meat sticks too much to your hands, rinse your hands with cool water.
STEP 5: Form the meatloaves into a nice shape again and transfer them to a baking tray. Pour a little water over them and bake for 1 hour in an oven preheated to 356°F/180°C (lower and upper heating).
From time to time, pour the drippings over the meatloaf, or add about half a cup of water if the liquid in the tray evaporates. By basting during baking, the meatloaf will have a golden and crispy layer on the surface.
➜ Serving
Slice the baked meatloaf into 1-1.5 cm thick slabs and serve with boiled or coarsely mashed potatoes. Add dill pickles if you want, a little yellow mustard, and onion rings on the plate.
Cold meatloaf also tastes great on a slice of rye bread. Prepare meatloaf sandwiches as a snack for a family outing. For more flavor, spread each slice thinly with mustard.
➜ Storage
Let the meatloaf cool completely and then store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to five days.
Meatloaf also freezes well. Freeze the entire meatloaf or slice it and place it in an airtight container in the freezer.
➜ Cooking tips
- For an extra exciting twist, add finely chopped onion to the mixture.
- In old Czech recipes, you will find advice to wrap the meatloaf in bacon. Don't be afraid to try it. Bacon-wrapped meatloaf gets extra protection against drying out and cracking during baking, and the bacon will add another layer of wonderful flavor.
➜ Questions and answers
You can bake the meatloaf covered with aluminum foil or uncovered. If you bake it uncovered, baste it frequently with the drippings to give it a golden, crispy crust.
The meatloaf, made from 1 pound of ground meat, bakes uncovered at 350°F for approximately 50 minutes.
Cracking of the meatloaf surface can have several causes. The most common ones include omitting or adding too little cold liquid (milk) during preparation, omitting eggs, or using meat that is too lean. After shaping the meatloaf, tap it gently on the work surface a few times to remove air bubbles inside the mixture. Brushing the meatloaf regularly with the juices during baking will also help.
More recipes with pork:
- Szegediner goulash – Czech segedinsky gulas of sauerkraut
- Oven roasted pork shoulder
- Slow roasted pork belly
- Pork chops with gravy
- Easy pork loin roast from the oven
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Easy Pork Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ pounds pork meat (675 g) ground
- ⅔ cup milk (160 ml) cold
- ½ cup breadcrumbs made from dried white bread
- 2 eggs
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 teaspoons marjoram dried
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Place the ground meat in a large mixing bowl, pour in cold milk, and add bread crumbs, eggs, and crushed garlic cloves. Season with salt and dried marjoram.
- Combine the mixture first coarsely with a fork, and then mash with your hands to a smooth, almost mushy mass. Be fair and do not replace the human hand with any modern kitchen appliance. The mixture needs to be thorough yet quickly kneaded with your fingers. The finished meaty mass must be cold, not too warm from processing.
- If you are unsure if the meatloaf mixture is properly seasoned, fry a small patty in a pan and taste. Season to your liking if necessary.
- Shape the well-kneaded and seasoned mixture into loaves, banging them a little on the work surface to help the meat sit down and remove any air bubbles inside. If the meat sticks too much to your hands, rinse your hands with cool water.
- Form the meatloaves into a nice shape again and transfer them to a baking tray. Pour a little water over them and bake for 1 hour in an oven preheated to 356°F/180°C (lower and upper heating).
- From time to time, pour the drippings over the meatloaf, or add about half a cup of water if the liquid in the tray evaporates. By basting during baking, the meatloaf will have a golden and crispy layer on the surface.
Notes
- Makes 2 loaves of meatloaf.
- SERVING: Slice the baked meatloaf into ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick slabs and serve with boiled or coarsely mashed potatoes. Add dill pickles if you want, a little yellow mustard, and onion rings on the plate.
- Cold meatloaf also tastes great on a slice of rye bread. Prepare meatloaf sandwiches as a snack for a family outing. For more flavor, spread each slice thinly with mustard.
- STORAGE: Let the meatloaf cool completely and then store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for up to five days. Meatloaf also freezes well. Freeze the entire meatloaf or slice it and place it in an airtight container in the freezer.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
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