300x600
My Smoked Meat Loaf Recipe
My meat loaf recipe is to die for and I am going to share it with you here.
Several years ago I decided to try a meat loaf on the smoker and several people including close relatives thought I'd lost all sense of reality.
I asked my wife to mix up the meat loaf recipe like she normally would then formed it into a rectangular shape about 2 inches thick onto a square cookie sheet.
It was the best thing we'd ever eaten and everyone else agreed.
I have since perfected the process and it's only gotten better and better over the years. Here's how I do it nowadays:
Helpful Information
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3-4 hours
Smoker temperature: 240°F
Meat Finish temperature: 160°F
Recommended wood: Hickory
What You'll Need
- 1 lb ground chuck (80/20)
- 1 lb ground breakfast sausage, hot or regular
- 1/2 cup bell pepper (yellow, green, red mixed), diced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced (1 small onion)
- ½ cup celery, diced
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 2 slices of loaf bread or a hamburger bun top and bottom
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Step 1: Soak the Bread
Take two slices of loaf bread or the top and bottom half of a bun and tear it into small pieces. (About 1 cup of bread)
Step 2: Saute Vegetables
Cooked vegetables release more moisture, are more tender and tend to be sweeter. Thus we will sauté them before use.
Dice bell peppers, onion and celery so that you end up with about ½ cup of each.
If you have extra, place them in a zip top bag and place them in the freezer for later.
Pour 2-3 TBS of olive oil into a skillet over medium heat.
Step 3: Mix the Meatloaf
Place the 1 pound of ground chuck and 1 pound of ground sausage into a large mixing bowl.
Step 4: Form Into a Loaf
Pour or scoop the mixture onto a cookie sheet, food grade butcher paper, etc. and form into a loaf with your hands.
Step 5: Smoke the Meatloaf
Set up your smoker for cooking at about 225-240°F using indirect heat with hickory smoke or whatever smoking wood you have available.
If your smoker has a water pan, I recommend that you use it.
Once your smoker is maintaining the proper temperature, the cooking can commence.
Place the meatloaf in the smoker.
Keep a light smoke going for at least 2 hours.
Let the loaf cook for 3-4 hours or until it reaches about 155°F.
Note: total time will depend on thickness of loaf, temperature of smoker and how often the door/lid is opened.
Step 6: Top with Sauce
At about 155°F, brush the top and sides of the meatloaf with plenty of Jeff's barbecue sauce (purchase recipes here). Give it about 25-30 minutes to caramelize then remove from the smoker.
Finish temperature for ground beef is actually 160°F but knowing that it will continue to cook and rise in temperature even after being removed from the smoker, it is ok to remove it a few degrees early.
Step 7: Rest and Serve
Once the meat is brought into the house, tent some foil over the top and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving. This resting period gives the juices in the meat time to redistribute throughout the meat.
After resting, slice and serve. I moved mine to a nice platter and sliced at the table.
This article adapted from this site
0 Comments