Best Darn Meat Brick Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S CHICKEN UNDER A BRICK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Use kitchen shears to cut down both sides of the backbone. Remove backbone and discard. Cut through breastbone from the inside until chicken folds out like a book and lays flat.
• Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper, and sprinkle herbes de Provence on the inside. Let chicken sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature; pat dry with paper towels. Brush skin-side of chicken with oil and season again with salt and black pepper.
• Heat an oven-proof cast iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Place chicken, skin-side down, in hot skillet and place bricks evenly on top to weigh down chicken.
• Roast chicken in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove bricks, turn chicken over, and continue roasting until juices run clear and meat is no longer pink at the bone, 5 to 15 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Preheat the oven's broiler and broil the chicken until skin is crispy and golden, 1 to 3 minutes.

BEST DARN MEAT-BRICK / MEATLOAF IN TEXAS!

Steps:

• I NEVER make a 2 pound meat-brick. I am giving the majority of these directions as if I was though. You will have to adjust some of them to the amount you are making.
• In the coffee mug of sugar, pour in enough BBQ sauce to make a glaze. You can mix it together in a separate bowl. This will be used at the end of the cooking.
• In a very large bowl, combine everything but the BBQ sauce, eggs,and sugar.
• Next measure in the 1/4 cup of sugar (you may need to add a little more if you are using more than 2 pounds of beef), 1 eggs per pound of ground beef, and 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce per 2 pounds of beef. Mix. To know when you have this at the right consistancy, shape the mixture into a ball in the bowl. If you can.
• pick it up, but it oozes over your hands, it is right. If it stays in a ball and seems "stiff", you need to add another egg first and then more BBQ sauce. You want to add the egg first as it will help the brick to hold together. You may also add more spices as needed here.
• When the meat-brick is to your consistancy (and it is VERY important that it be kinda "runny") put it in a baking dish (NOT a bread loaf pan) large enough to streach it out. If you are making a very large one, you may need to use 2 pans. Place the "blob" in the pan. Streach it out like a "loaf". Be careful not to make it too narrow, or too wide. If it is too narrow, it will dry out, if it is too wide, it be medium-rare in the middle. I don't mind it medium-rare, but my family won't eat it that way.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Check on it once in a while, and make sure that it isn't drying out. When the hour is up, take your glaze, and pour it over the meat-brick. Cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the glaze is bubbly.
• I normally serve this with mashed potatoes and green beans.
• If you hate meatloaf, I can almost bet you will love this!