Mega Meatloaf Extravaganza!! 44 Lbs- Sous-Vide

(OP- 5 years ago) I've made Meatloaf a zillion times but never with these quantities. I don't work from a precise recipe because I find it unnecessary. I've Sous-Vide-Processed Meatloaf, both in Tins and Casings.  And I've even done them in small Oval Stainless Steel molds.

These were done in Aluminum Tins so I could give some away as gifts. Meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food, IMO. Given as gifts or just feeding one's family is the ultimate comfort to the Soul. 

These are rather large Tins. These Tins hold 5 1/2 lbs of Meatloaf. 

Internal dimensions are...3" tall, 5 1/8" across, and 11 3/8" long. 

It was cooked at 145f at 6 hours to pasteurize. I started at 150f then lowered to 145f (more details below).

Gratuitous photos and brief explanations below. It does not include all details or ingredients. 

This pan is 20" across and 5" tall. It's a biggy...... I used about eight large Onions. These were all cut by hand. I am fast with a knife #1 or 2#.

 Peeled and chopped up using a Ninja. 

Onions, Carrots, and Celery.....

Sun-dried Tomatoes and Garlic...

Beef, Lamb, and Veal- About 28 lbs or so...

Panade- Dried French Bread, Milk, and Cream. 

How to finish these babies off!!!! Note: Double Vac Sealed and doubled foiled. 

A few suggestions.

1- If coming straight out of the SV-Bath, set in pan for 8-10 minutes to bring down temp (pan is cold, so this helps). Anyhow again, remove from tin and place on a cooking tray with your favorite glaze and toss in a preheated 500f degree until a lovely mahogany color is achieved. Save the juice for a sauce. 

2- If coming out of the refrigerator, toss in SV-Bath at 135f for a few hours (no less than 3-hrs), then finish as described in #1. After the Loaf is removed from the bath check, its temperature. Caveat- If it hasn't reached a proper serving temp, place in the oven at 250f until a temp of 135f is reached. Once 135f is reached, remove from oven and heat to 500f. Then finish as described in #1. 
2a- If SV-Processed from the freezer, adds an additional 2-3 hours.  

3- If you do not want to use the SV-Bath to retherm, use the oven. Preheat oven to 250f and heat until an internal temp of 125f. Once 125f is reached, remove from oven and heat to 500f. Then finish as described in #1.

My glaze? It changes often, but I love a balsamic vinegar reduction made with Brown Sugar, ketchup, and spices. 

We at one of the Meatloaf's last night... 

Meatloaf was Processed at 145.5f for 6 hours (bath started out at 150f then lowered to 145.5f). It was shocked in a big Tub of Ice-Water and refrigerated for 3 days. 

Rethermed as described in #2

The gravy was made from the drippings. Make sure to drain purge from the container into a different bowl.  Very simple to do......Make a roux, deglaze with liquid, and you are done. If it's not enough, consider adding some beef stock. Maybe adjust seasoning. 

Glaze!!!

Glaze with some additional spices 

 Done

Not sure you can tell but see how the Meatloaf is packed very loosely? This is what makes it tender. 

Note: I always get asked about Pasteurization, so I ran some calculations to help with questions. Whether you use Baldwin's tables or an app like Polyscience, the meat was Pasteurized. At its thickest part, it was 68mm. The Water was set at 145.5f or 63c. Depending on which chart you look at, and I'll choose the conservative one.... at 5:03:42, Meatloaf was Pasteurized and cooked to 145f or 62.78c, but I cooked it for 6 hours. 

Note: I've also tried 150f for the entire cook, and it was awesome. I am going to try 147f next. 150f came out a little firmer, and everyone loved it.....