One of the easiest dishes to prepare, no matter the season, is a classic Filipino-style meatloaf, hardinera. It’s also a family favorite and is often the most requested item by friends and readers. This is my version of hardinera, inspired by the recipe from Filipino chef Jam Melchor’s new cookbook – Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors and Cooking Traditions. Chef Jam personally delivered this thick, spiral-bound cookbook to me when I recently visited Manila.
What a great cookbook it is, with around 150 classic recipes that I remember from my mother’s cooking and menu sequence. This cookbook with Filipino classics has become my kitchen companion lately.
The Hardinera recipe immediately caught my eye because of its simplicity and availability of ingredients – most of which were already in my fridge and pantry. The best part is that it’s a great way to “eat your veggies” since you can add some of them into the meat mixture.
What is a Hardinera Meatloaf?
Hardinera means “gardener” in the Tagalog dialect, which shows that this loaf of beef and pork is mixed with vegetables you probably have in your trash can. With the abundance of summer vegetables, it’s even easier to make this quickly. Food historians like Edgie Polistico, also known as “Jardinera,” argue that this meatloaf appetizer originated in Quezon province.
After being steamed, plated and cut into pieces, the hardinera has savory flavors of salty and slightly sweet morsels of meat with vegetables nestled in between. The fragrant smell of the peppers mixed with onions, garlic and spices spreads across the dining table and makes everything an appetizing experience.
Why you will love this!
This is an easy meal to prepare and cook. All you need to do is mix the meat, vegetables, spices and seasonings and then pour the mixture into a llanera (oval Filipino metal container) or your favorite loaf pan that fits in the steamer. Steaming the loaf is the preferred and recommended method. But I’ve also tried other options that are just as convenient, depending on the time of year here on the East Coast of the US or how much time I have left in the day to make dinner.
One option is to bake the bread in the oven. Another alternative is to steam the Hardinera meatloaf in the Instant Pot multi-cooker. All of these suggested options are doable and result in a delicious family meal.
Required ingredients
The standard recipe suggests the following ingredients:
Ground pork – some recipes use pork only, and that’s okay. I like to combine pork and beef for additional flavors.
Ground Beef – Lean ground beef works well in this recipe.
Green peas – frozen peas that are thawed.
Paprika – use a combination of fresh red and green, chopped.
Carrots – chopped; Leave a few slices for topping.
Cucumber Relish – Use sweet cucumber relish for this recipe.
Eggs – shared; 2, to bind the mixture; 2 hard-boiled ones, for the meatloaf in it and for the topping
Breadcrumbs – regular breadcrumbs are one of the binding ingredients.
Grated Cheddar Cheese – sharp cheddar cheese adds a spicy touch.
Salt and pepper to taste
For the marinade:
Soy sauce – such as the Filipino brand Silver Swan; or the Chinese brand Lee Kum Kee. (Do not use the Japanese Kikkoman).
Vinegar – white vinegar, like the store brand, is fine.
Ketchup – I use banana ketchup, but tomatoes are just as good.
Minced garlic
Onion, finely chopped
The simple process
- It doesn’t take long to mix the marinade in a bowl and then pour it into the meat mixture. Add the rest of the vegetables, spices and seasonings. By marinating the meat, the flavors come out later after cooking.
- Place the mixture in two llaneras (oval containers for making flan) or use a regular loaf pan that fits in the steamer.
- Cover the entire container with foil. Then steam for 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Here’s how to serve it.
Once cooked, flip the hardinera meatloaf over and place it on a serving platter.
Cut the loaf into portion pieces. Serve warm with steamed rice and a ketchup dipping sauce.
How to store leftovers
Store leftover slices or whole meatloaf in plastic wrap and foil. It will keep in the fridge for about 1 week. It will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
*For more information about the Kayumanggi Cookbook, check out my book review in the online magazine Positively Filipino – Chef Jam Melchor: Cooking the past in the present. Click here.
Hardinera – Filipino meatloaf with vegetables
Servings: 4 People
Calories: 670kcal
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce, such as Silver Swan; or other Filipino brands
- 1/4 cup banana ketchup like UFC; or use tomato ketchup
- 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 quite medium white or yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Hardinera Meatloaf:
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound minced meat
- 1/4 cup broken crumbs
- 2 quite Eggs
- 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup Raisins
- 1/4 cup green peas
- 1/2 cup Red peppers, chopped, seeds and white membrane removed
- 1/4 cup grated carrots
- 1/4 cup sweet cucumber relish
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 cup Butter or margarine, softened
- 2 quite hard-boiled eggs for garnish on top
To marinate:
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In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, onion and ground black pepper. Add the meat and mix well. Let the meat marinate for about 30 minutes. Set aside.
To prepare the meatloaf
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In a large bowl, mix the marinated meat with breadcrumbs, eggs, cheese, raisins, green peas, peppers and grated carrots.Add the sweet pickle relish and salt.Mix well to incorporate.
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Spread the inside of the loaf tins with soft butter or margarine. Set aside.Place some hard-boiled egg slices on the bottom of the pans.Divide the meat mixture and place it in two separate llaneras (oval metal pans) or two loaf tins (20 x 10 cm). Garnish the top with sliced hard-boiled eggs.
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Cover the pans with foil and seal tightly.Steam the two llaneras or loaf pans (if they fit in the steamer) over boiling water in the steamer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.After cooking, remove the loaf pans from the steamer and let them cool on the work surface.
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Using a small, sharp knife, loosen the sides of the meatloaf in the loaf pan.Place a plate over the hardinera and turn both the plate and the llanera over.Cut into portion portions. Serve warm with steamed rice.
How to Cook Hardinera in the Instant Pot (Option 2)
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To cook in the Instant Pot, place the foil-covered loaf pan (only fits one at a time) onto the steamer in the inner pot. Make sure there is about 1-2 cups of water under the steamer.Attach the lid. Check that the cooking pressure is set to “High” and the drain valve is set to “Seal.”To steam: Select high pressure for 30 minutes.When cooking is complete, quickly release it. Use silicone oven mitts to remove the loaf pan. Remove foil. Serve warm with rice.
How to bake the hardinera: (alternative option)
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Preheat the oven to 375 F.Place the foil-covered loaf pans on a baking sheet (to catch any liquid).Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Serve warm.
Cook’s comments:
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Storage: Store remaining Hardinera covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.Or you can store the leftovers in the freezer, wrapped in foil and plastic ziplock bags, for about a month.This is my version of Chef Jam Melchor’s Hardinera from his new cookbook Brown I left out some ingredients, such as the vinegar in the meat. And I added 2 eggs as a binding agent for the loaf.We recommend using the oval Llanera as it fits most large steamers. If you don’t have a llanera, feel free to provide us with a regular loaf pan (8″ x 4″) that fits in the steamer.
Portion: 100grams | Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 14G | Protein: 41G | Fat: 49G | Saturated fat: 19G | Polyunsaturated fat: 3G | Monounsaturated fat: 21G | Trans fats: 1G | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 604mg | Potassium: 740mg | Fiber: 1G | Sugar: 5G | Vitamin A: 338IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 4mg
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