Loafing around

All About Food | March 16th, 2016

Loafing around

Empire Tavern’s third annual meatloaf cook-off

By Brittney Goodman

When I told my friends I was writing an article about a meatloaf cook-off, almost everyone had an opinion. One friend: “It’s all about the seasoning. Bland meatloaf sucks. Kick it up a notch.” Another: “I love meatloaf, cold, the next day, in a sandwich with some hot sauce.” Another: “I hope someone sings ‘Paradise by the Dashboard Light.’” Oops, wrong meatloaf. For the third year, the delightfully divey Empire Tavern in downtown Fargo is hosting a meatloaf cook-off competition. The cook-off has become a much-anticipated event for aspiring meatloaf chefs and for hungry meatloaf tasters. This year, the event is scheduled for Saturday, March 19 at 12:30 pm. Entering chefs should have their meatloaf creations at the event before 12:30. No preregistration is necessary. Cash prizes sponsored by Ramstad Law Office will be awarded for first, second, and third place.

Carol Hall, one of the event organizers for the past three years, says the event came to be because herself, Daylen Ramstad, and Jerry Melo were hanging out at the Empire and talked about the abundance of chili contests but that other kinds of cooking contests were sparse in our area. They all thought that meatloaf would be a fun idea because there are so many ways to prepare it, and it’s something many people enjoy. And since they were having this discussion at the Empire, they thought it would be the perfect location for this meeting of the meats.

In 2014, the event was not as well publicized and they only had four entries. Last year, due to increased social media and word of mouth, 23 dishes were entered. That’s a lot of meat. This year, even more entries are expected.

Daylen Ramstad, one of the event organizers and sponsors from the beginning, helps put on the event because he likes “to be with friends, and seeing everyone having a good time. Last year's cook-off was fantastic.”

Carol says this year they will have plenty of electrical outlets so that those bringing their meatloaf in crockpots or warmers can keep their dishes warm. Because of the anticipated number of entries, and the realization that judges only have room in their bellies to sample a certain amount of loaf, there will be two 3-judge panels. In addition to the meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy will be served. The event should take about an hour to judge, so expect for non-judges to be able to sample the food around 2. And, of course, the Empire will have libations available for purchase and a Touchtunes ready to be touched. And perhaps you will not be judged too harshly if you want to play “bat out of hell” or “Two out of three ain’t bad.”

Carol also advises cooks to be creative: “Be experimental with the recipes. You never know what will be a hit. The first year, the winner had a sweet potato topping.” And it was delicious. The Facebook event site gives some tips and sample recipes for people to try. A few flavor ideas that look interesting are Asian-inspired meatloaf, cheesy taco meatloaf (because who doesn’t like cheese?), and Chicken Cordon Bleu meatloaf.

A few tips on making meatloaf from homecooking.about.com

Don’t use raw vegetables. Sautee the vegetables before adding so they will not be crunchy.
Use a mixture of meats, and make sure there is enough fat content for the meatloaf to remain moist.
Instead of adding dry bread or breadcrumbs as a binder, soak them in ½ cup of milk for 15 minutes first. They may look mushy, but they’ll keep the meatloaf moist.

For other tips, just ask around. Surely your grandmother, or mother, or father, or best friend has some winning ideas.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Empire Tavern Meatloaf Cook-off and Feed

WHEN: Saturday, March 19, Judging at 12:30 pm

WHERE: Empire Tavern, 424 Broadway N., Fargo

COST: Free

WEB: https://www.facebook.com/events/441556839385147/