Thank you Curvy. It does seem if you drain the fat it would make it very lean. I also drain the 5% mince but I will try to be much more thorough with the 12%.
Alessandra, When I make meatloaf, I mix all the ingredients in a bowl and then kind of pack it in once mixed well and the turn the bowl over on a baking tray covered in foil. It keeps the shape of the bowl like a large ball and after it cooks the fat forms on the outside and I cut this away when it is finished cooking.
I find If I cook it in a loaf pan for example and there is no where the fat can go it is reabsorbed in the meat. I know there are special pans made for meatloaf that allows the fat to drip to the bottom but I haven't seen one here in the UK so find this method works well.