Embutido, the grand Filipino meatloaf, can either inspire wonder or horror. It depends on how you feel about the "weird" stuff—raisins, boiled eggs, hotdogs, pickle relish—separately and together. Then you have to eat it cold? If you don't like embutido, we get it. That's why we made this recipe for you.
This recipe dials it down on the stuff you hate, creating a meat-packed loaf that tastes like a cross between a Pinoy burger and lumpiang shanghai filling. Is this embutido blasphemy? Maybe. But if it gets you to love the Filipino meatloaf, it's all worth it.
Cook onions: Add oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
Make meat mixture: Add cooked onions, ground beef, longganisa, carrot, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Mix until well combined and homogenous, taking care not to pack the meat too forcefully.
Shape embutido: Take a large piece of foil and lay it down on a clean work surface. Place half of the embutido mixture in the center, then shape into a rough log. Take the edge of the foil closest to you and wrap the embutido tightly into a large log. Roll the log all the way up to the top edge and seal the sides. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Cook embutido: Steam the logs in steamer baskets until cooked through, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Remove from the steamer and transfer onto a plate, and let cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Serve: You can serve the embutido in many ways. Slice it and enjoy straight away, or warm in the pan or microwave until heated through. Our favorite way to serve it is to cut thick slices, coat it in a thin layer of banana ketchup, and broil in the oven. Serve with rice or between bread.
