Meat loaf is as synonymous with good old-fashioned American cooking as apple pie. While some may prefer meat loaf made with meat loaf mix, a combination of beef, pork, and veal, there’s something to be said for an all-beef loaf.

An all-beef loaf can have terrific meaty flavor and it’s convenient to boot, especially when you can’t find meat loaf mix, or just don’t want to fuss with buying three kinds of meat. However, a meat loaf made with all beef does require some special handling so that it doesn’t taste like a dry, loaf-shaped hamburger. We set out to make a loaf with well-seasoned meat and just enough binder to give the loaf a tender, not tough, texture. In choosing a side dish to partner with our meat loaf, we turned to another old-fashioned dish—skillet-roasted potatoes. Skillet-roasted potatoes are cooked on the stovetop, thus allowing the cook to free up the oven for the main course. We wanted potatoes that are creamy on the inside and crusty on the outside. Some skillet-roasted potatoes can be soggy and greasy—a pitfall we’d need to avoid in developing our recipe.

Recipes:

Glazed Meat Loaf or All Beef Meatloaf

Skillet-Roasted Potatoes

Skillet-Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary

Skillet-Roasted Potatoes with Lemon and Chives

Spicy Skillet-Roasted Potatoes with Chili and Cumin

Tasting Lab: Ground Beef

Equipment Center: The Tong Show—Kitchen Tongs

Science Desk: How Gelatin Mimics Veal