Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and spread about ¼ cup of ketchup in the center, about where you will place your meatloaf
Saute onions in butter on low to medium flame, add 1 tsp kosher salt and 4 grinds of black pepper
Let onions caramelize slowly, stirring often
Once onions are browned a bit and very soft, add the water to the pan to scrape up any stuck onions
Remove pan from heat (mix needs to cool a bit)
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, 2T kosher salt, 4 grinds of black pepper, and the ketchup. Whisk well
Add the ground beef, breadcrumbs, and onion mix and get in there with your hands and mix everything up well
Form the meat into a loaf shape while it’s in the bowl; it helps form it on the pan
Place the meat in the center of the prepared cookie sheet and now form it more into a loaf. Remember how you shape it will decide how long it will bake: flatter and wider means less cooking time than a high narrower loaf
Once you have shaped your loaf, spread about ½ cup ketchup over the entire loaf
Bake until the center reads 165. I make a flatter, wider loaf and it’s ready in 50 minutes
