how to turn a unicorn into a meatloaf!?

Last April, Starbucks had a limited edition Frappuccino called the Unicorn Frappuccino. We all know unicorns are mythical creatures but there is one real-life creature that's the closest thing you can get to a real-life unicorn: the eland, an antelope with two horns that look like a unicorn's horn(straight and at an angle) found in Africa. So I made a unicorn meatloaf using eland. 

Don't be fooled by this item on Amazon called "Unicorn Meat"- it's just a gag item. 

You can find eland testicles, liver, kidneys, stew meat, sausage, and steaks online but not ground eland. However, there is a way of turning meat into something that can be crumbled up to make a meatloaf- by slow cooking it for 8-10 hours on low. This is the first time I ever used a slow cooker, though I remember my mom having one of those when I was a kid. 

This meatloaf has all the components of a Unicorn Frappuccino and the closest thing to a real-life unicorn, the eland! 

So what does eland taste like? It tastes like slightly dry, slightly sweet beef, pretty much. The components of a Unicorn Frappuccino are sweet and sour(not to be confused with sweet and sour sauce). This meatloaf tasted sour, sweet, and savory- a very interesting combination indeed. 

My dad doesn't trust meat that comes from outside the US, so he didn't try this meatloaf. Plus he was repulsed by the idea of eating a unicorn, even if it's just an African antelope with two horns. 

​HELPFUL LINKS: 

Eland Stew Meat: www.exoticmeatmarkets.com/Eland-Stew-Meat-1-Lb-p/elandstewmeat16oz.htm

Pink Pearl Dust: www.amazon.com/Wilton-Orchid-Supplies-Pink-Pearl/dp/B000PWKL52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514229419&sr=8-1&

Blue Pearl Dust: www.amazon.com/Wilton-Pearl-Sapphire-Blue-0-05-Ounce/dp/B00170ZKJI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1514229432&sr=8-1&

You will need: 

For the cooking equipment: 

A large bowl
A frying pan
Spatula
A crockpot
A slotted spoon
A large plate
2 small bowls
A lasagna pan
Nonstick cooking spray

For slow-cooking the unicorn(eland) meat: 

1 lb. eland stew meat(see HELPFUL LINKS)
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
Olive oil for searing the meat
Any vegetables(i used baby carrots)
1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
Enough water to fill a crockpot halfway(I used 5-6 cups)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
Pinch of onion powder
Pinch of coriander
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of dill weed

For the blue syrup:

1/2 tbsp. hot water
1/2 tsp. blue raspberry lemonade Kool-Aid powder
1/4 cup white chocolate candy melts

For the meatloaf: 

2/3 tbsp. onion powder
2 beaten and whisked eggs
The blue syrup
1 packet pink lemonade powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. grenadine syrup
1 tbsp. mango juice or mango syrup(I used the former of the two)
1 cup's worth of crumbled Unicorn Popcorn Bread(see this post for recipe)
The slow-cooked eland meat
1/4 tsp. pink pearl dust(see HELPFUL LINKS)
1/4 tsp. blue pearl dust(see HELPFUL LINKS)

To slow-cook the unicorn(eland) meat: 

1. In a large bowl, coat the stew meat with the flour. 
2. Pour olive oil into a frying pan and spread it throughout the pan. Heat the oil up. 
3. Once the oil is heated up, put the floured meat into the pan and sear the meat by browning the outside of it(doesn't have to be fully cooked at this point). It helps to use a spatula to move the stew meat throughout the pan to ensure all of it is seared. 
4. Put the seared meat and the rest of the ingredients needed to slow-cook the meat into a crockpot. Mix all the ingredients up. 
5. Put the lid on the crockpot, set it on low, and slow cook everything for 8-10 hours. 
6. After 8-10 hours, turn the crockpot off, retrieve the meat with a slotted spoon, and place the meat onto a large plate. Discard the rest of the crockpot ingredients.

To make the syrup: 

1. In a small bowl, mix the blue raspberry lemonade powder and hot water until the powder has dissolved into the water. In a second small bowl, place the candy melts and melt the chocolate in the microwave for 40 seconds, or until fully melted. 
2. Pour the blue raspberry lemonade mixture into the melted and chocolate and mix thoroughly until you get a light blue mixture. 

To make the meatloaf: 

1. Put the first 8 meatloaf ingredients into a large bowl. 
2. Crumble the slow-cooked meat into a pulled pork consistency using 2 forks. Place the crumbled meat into the large bowl. 
3. Mix all the ingredients up until you get a firm meatloaf mixture. 
4. Spray a lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray. Form 2 loaves from the meatloaf mixture. 
5. Bake the meatloaves in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20-30 minutes. 
6. Take the pan out of the oven. Sprinkle pink pearl dust on one meatloaf and blue pearl dust on the other. 

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