Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a rimmed baking tray with baking parchment or foil — this makes clean-up a breeze and catches any glaze drips that bubble over during cooking.

Sweat the onion and garlic. In a large frying pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and cook the diced onion for about 5 minutes until it turns translucent and smells sweet. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant, then set aside to cool slightly. You’ll know it’s ready when the onion is soft and pale gold, not brown.

Soak the breadcrumbs. In a large mixing bowl, pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and let them sit for 3-4 minutes. The crumbs should absorb the milk completely, turning into a soft, porridge-like paste. This is the secret to a tender meatloaf that doesn’t crumble when sliced.

Combine the meatloaf mixture. Add the beef mince, cooled onion and garlic, beaten eggs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, and smoked paprika to the bowl with the soaked breadcrumbs. Use your hands to gently mix everything together — you want to combine it until no streaks of breadcrumb remain, but do not overwork the meat or it will become tough. The mixture should feel moist and slightly tacky, but hold together when pressed into a ball.

Shape the loaf. Turn the mixture out onto the lined baking tray and shape it into a loaf about 20cm long and 10cm wide. Pat it gently into an even shape, making sure there are no cracks on the surface. The loaf should feel firm but spring back slightly when pressed.

Make the brown sugar glaze. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and mustard powder until the sugar has mostly dissolved and you have a smooth, deep-red glaze. Spoon about half of this glaze over the top of the loaf, spreading it evenly with the back of the spoon. Reserve the rest for later.

Bake the meatloaf. Place the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. After this time, remove the tray carefully and spoon the remaining glaze over the top. Return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes. The meatloaf is done when the internal temperature reaches 71°C (160°F) on a meat thermometer, and the glaze has darkened to a rich mahogany colour with sticky, caramelised edges. The kitchen will smell sweet and savoury at this point.

Rest before slicing. Let the meatloaf rest on the tray for 10-15 minutes. This is crucial — as it rests, the juices redistribute back into the meat, so when you slice it, the pieces hold their shape and stay moist rather than falling apart on the board. The surface will feel tacky and glossy from the set glaze.