This ain’t yo Grandma’s meatloaf, it’s much better.

Created by Marvin Gapultos, mastermind behind the Filipino food blog, Burnt Lumpia, this recipe can be found in his new cookbook, The Adobo Road Cookbook: A Filipino Food Journey-From Food Blog, to Food Truck, and Beyond.

This meatloaf recipe is a fusion of an American classic with a Filipino twist, kinda like yours truly. A notable difference between the old standard recipe and Gapultos’ Embudido recipe is a flurry of Asian flavors such as fish sauce, banana ketchup, and soy sauce.

Going back to that banana ketchup: If you want to get real fancy and impress your dinner guests, you can whip up a batch of it from scratch! (Check out the recipe below.)

Differences aside, no meatloaf is complete without some hardboiled eggs hidden inside. Mmm perfection.

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Filipino Meatloaf [Embutido]

Serves 4–6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the meatloaf:

• 1/3 cup (20 g) panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup (250 ml) milk
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Homemade Banana Ketchup, or store-bought banana ketchup
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
• 1 lb (500 g) ground beef
• 1 lb (500 g) ground pork
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, shells removed

For the glaze:

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) Homemade Banana Ketchup (see recipe below), or ¹/³ cup (80 ml) store-bought banana ketchup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, milk, soy sauce, fish sauce, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of Homemade Banana Ketchup.
3. Set aside for 5–10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the onion, the green and red bell peppers, and the salt and stir-fry until the onion softens and is translucent, 3–5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir-fry until the garlic just begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the vegetables to cool in the pan.
5. Add the ground beef, ground pork, and cooled vegetables to the large bowl with the bread crumb mixture. Using a rubber spatula, or your hands, gently mix until everything is well combined.
6. Using half of the meat mixture, form a rectangular bed (about 10 x 5 in/25 x 13 cm) in the center of a large foil-lined sheet pan. Nestle the three eggs along the center of the bed. Form a loaf shape around the eggs with the remainder of the meat mixture, making sure that the eggs are completely enclosed. Brush the 1/3 cup of Homemade Banana Ketchup onto all sides of the meatloaf.
7. Place the meatloaf in the oven for 60–75 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer (inserted into the meat, not the eggs) registers 145°F (63°C). To further brown and caramelize the glaze, place the meatloaf under the broiler for an additional 5–10 minutes.
8. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with steamed white rice.

Homemade Banana Ketchup

Makes about 1½ cups (375 ml)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Annatto Oil, or regular vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 large ripe bananas, about ¾ lb (350 g) total, mashed
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup (65 ml) water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, plus more, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 bay leaf

 Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5–7 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir to combine, cooking for 2–3 minutes until the tomato paste breaks down and melts into the onion and garlic.
2. Place the mashed banana into the pan and stir until they pick up a reddish-orange hue from the Annatto Oil (if using) and tomato paste. Pour in the vinegar and water, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the brown sugar, black pepper, ground clove, salt, and soy sauce, and stir to combine. Drop the bay leaf into the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and then simmer, partially covered, for 20–30 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf.
4. Place the banana mixture into the carafe of a blender and purée until smooth. If the banana ketchup is too thick, it can be thinned out with additional water. Taste the ketchup for seasoning, and add more sugar if sweeter ketchup is desired.
5. Store the banana ketchup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 weeks.

**COOK’S NOTE: For a spicier version of this ketchup, add 1–2 chopped Thai chili peppers (or 1 small jalapeño chili pepper) and sauté along with the onion and garlic. Continue with the rest of the recipe as written.**

Photo and Recipe Courtesy of Marvin Gapultos’ cookbook, The Adobo Road Cookbook: A Filipino Food Journey-From Food Blog, to Food Truck, and Beyond