Meatloaf has an image problem it did not earn. Done badly it is dense and grey, and that is almost always because somebody worked the mix like bread dough. Ground beef has already been broken down once; every extra minute of mixing tightens the protein and squeezes water out of the loaf before it ever reaches the oven.

Half the Hot Spit goes into the mix and half goes on the top, and the split matters. Sauce in the mix keeps the interior moist and carries habanero heat all the way through a six-ounce slice. Sauce on top at the forty-five-minute mark has just enough time to set into a glaze without turning black, which is what happens if you glaze from the start.

The thermometer is the only honest way to call this done. 160°F in the center, then ten minutes of rest before the knife goes in. Cut it hot and the slices fall apart and weep onto the board. Ten minutes of patience is the difference between twelve clean portions and a pan of crumbles.