Meatloaf is making a resurgence in recent years,

During a rowdy game of Guess many years ago, I got a question asking for the main cause of a well-known, violent prison riot. The answer? Too much meat loaf served in the college cafeteria.

We all howled with laughter. Our hosts had served meat loaf for dinner earlier that evening - and, to be honest, it was only marginally better than what you'd get behind bars. The recipe, our friend said, had been passed down from her grandmother. And though it didn't turn out quite as well as she had planned, the dish was as comforting to her as her shredded baby blanket and the scent of her mother's perfume.

That's just the thing about meat loaf - it has both staunch supporters and fervent detractors. But no matter whether it's considered jail food or the stuff of happy childhood memories, it has made a definite resurgence in recent years, especially in local restaurants.

Affordable ingredients and less labor allows for a lower price point on menus - not insignificant in this economy. And diners are looking for food that reminds them of a better, easier time. In response, Bay Area chefs have not only embraced the dish but are having fun with it, using it as a canvas for experimentation with different flavors and high-quality ingredients.

And, they say, nobody's comparing it to something you'd eat at San Quentin.

"In general, our meat loaf usually flies out the door," says Eric Markoff, executive chef at Town Hall in San Francisco. "We end up selling out of it most days."

The restaurant focuses on regional American cuisine, and a recent fascination with barbecue prompted the chefs to create a meat loaf laced with smoky flavors. The dish is made from a blend of ground veal, pork, beef and tasso ham, bound together by the house barbecue sauce. Markoff says that it goes on and off the menu depending on the season, but that in this economy, it's a surefire hit.

"If we can figure out ways of using quality ingredients and offer it to our guests at an affordable price, that's the best thing." At just $14, he says, "It's the cheapest entree on the menu right now."

At the restaurant, the meat loaf is insulated during cooking with bacon skin, the thin outer layer that covers the whole slab. But Markoff says that home cooks can use a few strips of regular bacon to seal in the moisture.

Smoky bacon also punches up the flavor of the popular meat loaf created by chef Cory Obenour at Blue Plate in San Francisco, where it's been a mainstay on the menu since the restaurant opened in 1999.

General manager Jeff Trenam says meat loaf fits nicely with the image of the restaurant - an unfussy, comfortable place. He notes that since meat loaf's popularity can be attributed to hard times, it makes sense these days. It's "a means of stretching proteins and conserving leftovers," he writes in an e-mail.

Blue Plate's recipe is fairly traditional, but gets a kick of heat from cayenne pepper. It's served with a rich sauce made with bacon, garlic, white wine and broth.

It couldn't be more different than a version created by Dennis Leary, chef-owner of Canteen and the Sentinel, both in San Francisco. Opened last year, the Sentinel is a lunch spot with a daily changing menu.

"All the health-conscious people in this neighborhood go for the turkey meat loaf like crazy," says Leary. "It's a bit healthier and a slightly leaner preparation than regular meat loaf."

Most cooks will argue that the lower fat content makes turkey meat loaf prone to drying out. But Leary adds "moisturizers" such as lemon juice, tahini, chile paste and a touch of cream. As a sandwich, it's an interesting departure.

To further keep it from drying out, he pays close attention to cooking time. Though he knows that the government's recommended internal temperature for turkey is 165 degrees, he pulls the loaf out at about 150 degrees. It's completely cooked, he says, but doesn't have that cardboard texture.

A benefit of meat loaf, explains Leary, is that it allows him to be efficient.

"A big batch of chicken salad can take hours," he says, "but we can prepare 30 pounds of meat loaf in five minutes."

That quick preparation time translates to the home kitchen as well. Most recipes require little more than mixing together a pile of ingredients with your hands. Plus, meat loaf can be prepared ahead of time and baked later.

That's something Cindy Pawlcyn does often. Not only does the Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen chef-owner cook meat loaf at home (best eaten cold on toast the next morning, she swears), she serves a variation of a Panamanian meat loaf with dried pasilla chiles and cocktail sauce in her St. Helena restaurant.

"We like to make our meat loaf in the morning and then roast it off just before we need it," she says. "That way, you get the best texture, and it allows all the flavors to permeate the meat."

As good as meat loaf can be, it's fairly easy to screw up (hence the jailbreak), so chefs recommend practicing a few easy techniques to get the best result.

"Don't overmix it," says Pawlcyn, "and keep it at a lower temperature to stay moist."

The Blue Plate recipe calls for soaking the breadcrumbs in the wet ingredients for at least five minutes before adding the meat, which prevents the loaf from cracking as it bakes.

Follow these easy steps, the chefs say, and the meat loaf is practically foolproof - unique, doable for the home cook, and quick and easy for a family.

And, of course, better than anything you'd get in prison.

Taster's Choice

The Food & Wine section's Taster's Choice panel sampled meat loaf mixes from seven butcher counters around the Bay Area - each a blend of raw, seasoned ground meat that requires nothing more than a turn in the oven.

The panelists couldn't recommend buying any of them. In the end, we decided it not to rank them in our regular Taster's Choice column. Those from Mollie Stone's, Andronico's and Golden Gate Meat edged out the others by a hair, but for a dish that requires very little effort in the first place, we concluded it's best to make your own.

Blue Plate Meat Loaf with Bacon Gravy

Serves 6-8

From chef Cory Obenour.

• The meat loaf
• 2 teaspoons bacon fat, or butter
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
• -- Pinch of dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
• 3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• -- Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• -- A few drops Tabasco sauce
• 1 pound ground beef
• 5 ounces ground pork
• The gravy
• 4 strips thick-cut smoked bacon, diced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 
  

For the meat loaf: Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. In a saute pan, add bacon fat, onion and garlic, and cook over medium heat, until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Take care to not caramelize the onions. Remove from the heat and reserve.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients except the meat. Let sit for 5 minutes, which allows the crumbs to absorb the wet mix and soften, preventing the loaf from cracking.

Add the meat and the onion mixture to the bowl and mix by hand until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the greased loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time. Let cool before unmolding.

For the gravy:

In a large, shallow saute pan over medium-low heat, cook bacon with 1 tablespoon butter, the olive oil, shallot, garlic and thyme. Add white wine, bring to a simmer and reduce for about 4-5 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add the chicken stock and reduce liquid by half . Stir in the remaining tablespoon butter and serve over the meat loaf.

Per serving: 340 calories, 19 g protein, 7 g carbohydrate, 24 g fat (10 g saturated), 120 mg cholesterol, 850 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

Town Hall Barbecue Meat Loaf with Mushroom Gravy

Serves 6

Town Hall's meat loaf is topped with bacon skin to keep it moist, but chef Eric Markoff says it's an optional technique (at home it's OK to use a few regular strips of bacon). We didn't put anything on top when we tested it at The Chronicle, and it was still moist and delicious.

• The gravy
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
• -- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup of veal demi-glace (see Note)
• The meat loaf
• 4 slices of levain or white bread, crusts removed and soaked in about 1 1/2 to 2 cups milk
• 1 pound ground veal
• 4 ounces ground pork
• 4 ounces ground beef
• 4 ounces tasso or other ham, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (preferably smoky and spicy)
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 
  

For the gravy:

Heat oil in a large, shallow saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until golden brown. Stir in the onion, garlic and thyme and reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until onions are translucent. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour in white wine, bring to a boil and reduce by half. Pour in chicken stock and veal demi-glace. Bring to a simmer and reduce sauce by three-quarters or until the sauce has a rich and thick consistency.

While the gravy is reducing, make the meat loaf.

For the meat loaf:

Preheat oven to 350°. Squeeze out any excess milk from bread and discard the milk. Combine with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to a 5-by-9-inch ungreased loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until loaf reaches an internal temperature of 150°. Let rest for 10 minutes before removing from pan and serve with the mushroom gravy.

Note: Demi-glace can be found in the freezer or grocery section of most upscale grocery stores, including Whole Foods.

Per serving: 453 calories, 31 g protein, 24 g carbohydrate, 21 g fat (5 g saturated), 121 mg cholesterol, 1,967 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

- - -

If you use tasso ham, which has a spice mixture rub punched up with cayenne, this loaf stays true to the restaurant's Cajun roots. If there's discernable heat from the tasso, you can also try a medium-bodied, fruity, off-dry rosé, or even a white Zinfandel rosé.

Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen Mighty Meat Loaf

Serves 4 to 6

• The meat loaf
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 jalapeno chile, seeds removed, minced
• 1/2 dried pasilla chile, seeds removed, minced
• 3/4 cup minced celery
• 3/4 cup minced carrot
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon each minced fresh thyme and minced fresh sage
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 ounces Heinz ketchup, preferably organic
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• The sauce
• 1 cup Heinz ketchup, preferably organic
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon chile flakes (depending on your taste)
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 2 drops Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup chicken or beef stock
• 
  

For the meat loaf:

Preheat oven to 325°.

Melt the butter. Add the chiles, celery, carrot and garlic in butter until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the minced herbs, then remove from the heat to cool. When cooled, mix with the ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, 2 ounces ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until well combined. Transfer to an ungreased 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Using the back of a knife, make attractive crosshatch marks across the top.

For the sauce:

Mix together the 1 cup ketchup, chile flakes, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. Smear 1/2 cup of this mixture over the meat loaf.

Bake at 325° for about 1 hour, or until the meat loaf reaches an internal temperature of 140°.

While the meat loaf is baking, add the chicken or beef stock to the remaining sauce. Bring to a low simmer and reduce by a third. Serve the meat loaf topped with a generous spoonful of sauce.

Per serving: 415 calories, 34 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 23 g fat (10 g saturated), 139 mg cholesterol, 1,026 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.

The Sentinel Spicy Turkey Meat Loaf with Lemon & Sesame

Serves 4-6

Dennis Leary serves this as a sandwich, but it can be eaten plain as well. On its own, it packs a lot of heat, so you can cut down on the chile paste if so desired.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• -- Zest of 3 lemons
• -- Juice of 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons each minced parsley and minced cilantro 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons za'atar (see Note)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey, mix of light and dark meat
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons sambal oelek, or similar chile paste
• -- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix cream, lemon zest and juice, tahini, tomato paste, parsley, cilantro and panko breadcrumbs until well combined.

Add cooked onion, za'atar, turkey, eggs, chile paste and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with your hands until just combined.

Put meat loaf mixture into an ungreased 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, until firm to the touch, slightly browned and a thermometer reads at least 150°. Let cool slightly and cut into slices to serve.

Note: Look for za'atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend, in the spice section of well-stocked supermarkets.

Per serving: 378 calories, 26 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 25 g fat (9 g saturated), 184 mg cholesterol, 263 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.