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Not Your Grandma's Smoked Meatloaf

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    Not Your Grandma's Smoked Meatloaf

    Yea you guessed it, Grandma's meatloaf is being challenged, modernized and often meets the smoker for amped up taste and a whole new dimension of flavor. Everyone who cooks it has their own technique or magic ingredient that puts theirs over the top. That said, for me flavor in a good meatloaf is key, but what's even more important is the moistness and the palate feel that's a must for a successful result.

    Added to that are a variety of amped up ingredients that can turn Grandma's Sunday offering into say a Mexican fiesta in the mouth. Ketchup for a glaze is classic, but how about getting a bit more inventive with a Cherry Pomegranate Habanero alternative?

    I keep playing with different ingredients, and you're more than welcome to weigh in on how you improve on the original. Shoutout to Henrik for his version using a cream cheese filling (which I have adopted for mine). All that and of course the added dimension of your favorite smoking wood, definitely produces something that is unlike anything Grandma ever thought about making !!

    Click image for larger version  Name:	meatloaf 01.jpg Views:	51 Size:	4.56 MB ID:	935808

    Troutman's Smoked Meatloaf

    Ingredients


    2 pounds Mishima Reserve Wagyu ground beef
    1 pound ground veal
    1 cup minced onion
    6-8 garlic cloves finely chopped
    1 large Anaheim or Hatch pepper
    1/2 can tomato paste (3-4 ozs)
    3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
    2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    1/2 cup Sauvignon Blanc wine
    1/2 cup milk
    1-2 cups bread crumbs
    8 ounce package Philadelphia cream cheese
    1 large beaten egg
    1 tablespoon kosher salt
    1 tablespoon ground black pepper
    2 tablespoons Meathead's MMD or other seasoning

    For the Glaze:

    5 ounces of Raspberry Chipotle sauce (many other options as mentioned above)

    Directions

    1. Take the Anaheim pepper and roast it over an open flame on your kitchen stove. Char it all over then place it in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap to let it steam for about 15-20 minutes. After steaming the charred skin will easily wash off under running water. Cut off the top, de-seed and fine chop the remaining pepper.

    2. In a large mixing bowl combine the two meats along with the tomato paste, salt, black pepper, onion, garlic, cilantro and Anaheim pepper kneading into a homogenous mixture. Take the time to blend the ingredients, working the meat will also help with moisture retention.

    3. Next add your wet ingredients; the Worcestershire, wine, beaten egg and continue incorporating into the loaf. Begin adding your bead crumbs about 1/2 cup at a time until you absorb enough liquid to make the loaf easy to form when a portion is rolled in your hand. What you don't want is to dry it out, but at the same time you don't want it crumbing on you either. Set aside in your refrigerator to rest.

    4. Fire up your grill or smoker for indirect cooking. Use a low and slow method, smoke at somewhere between 225-250*. Add a few ounces of your favorite smoking wood; pecan, apple or cherry are my choices here. Stronger woods like oak and mesquite tend to overwhelm a meatloaf, but if you like a strong smoky result, by all means go for it.

    5. While the smoker is heating up, take half of the meatloaf and form it into about a 1-1/2" thick, flat football shape on a cutting board. Carefully hollow out the interior of that shape about 1/2" deep and work the cream cheese into the void. Take the remaining half and work it over the top of that bottom piece. Be sure to seal the joint between the upper and lower halves to avoid having the cheese escape while cooking. You also want it to hold together as a homogenous loaf. Season the outside of the loaf generously with the MMD or favorite seasoning.

    6. Using a large spatula, carefully place the loaf on your cooking grate. I used a Phat Mat cooking mat to help disperse heat and have an easy way to remove the loaf once cooked. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 135* IT, roughly 1 hour. Make sure that your probe is into the meaty portion and not the cheese to get an accurate reading.

    7. Glaze the outside of the loaf with your chosen glaze. Crank up your heat at this point, you want to set that glaze. When the internal temperature reaches 140* give the loaf a second and final coating of glaze. At the 145* IT mark your loaf is ready to be pulled and placed on your cutting board.

    ** The USDA does recommend that all ground meat be cooked to a safe temperature of 160* IT to kill pathogens. I take mine 8-10 degrees less for sake of better moisture. Please consider the recommendation when cooking this recipe.***

    8. After about a 20-30 minute rest, slice using a sharp slicing knife. I chose a serrated one to make sure I was able to slice without the pieces delaminating around the melted cheese. Serve and enjoy !


    Click image for larger version  Name:	meatloaf 03.jpg Views:	51 Size:	5.73 MB ID:	935809

    This meatloaf will not disappoint. Tender (because its made with Wagyu beef), moist and flavorful. The amped up glaze has a distinct sweet heat in your mouth that's an added bonus. I actually loved the end piece due to the combination of the glaze, the smoky flavor, the MMD along with the moist, flavorful internal meat. Give this a try, or create your own variant. The palette, as well as the results, are endless!! But know this, it will never be as boring as Grandma's (sorry Gram, but it's simply so) !!!

    Good to be back in the saddle you all, hope you enjoyed this one. Troutman, as always, is outta here !!
    Last edited by Troutman; January 29, 2024, 08:27 AM.

    #2
    My wife makes a "not my mom’s" meatloaf. It is a Cajun meatloaf. If I could get my hands on Wagyu it would put it over the top. Great advice! I am going to save your tips.

    Now please answer this totally unrelated question: why is it spelled Wagyu but I cant stop pronouncing it Waygu? My son lived in Galveston for three years and I couldn’t help but call it Gavelston.

    Comment


    • theroc
      theroc commented
      Editing a comment
      Great to see you back Troutman! This recipe is in the queue!

    • ofelles
      ofelles commented
      Editing a comment
      I also do a Cajun meatloaf with a Cajun Very Hot sauce. Way good!

    • jfmorris
      jfmorris commented
      Editing a comment
      Wow! I just realized I had been doing the same thing, and saying WAY-GU.... Wow!

    #3
    Nice Steve! We already enjoy Henrik ‘s stuffed meatloaf and you really cranked it up. Going to give it a whirl real soon. Thanks.

    Comment


      #4
      Troutman Sounds great! I did a smoked meatloaf several weeks ago and fell in love. I will be hard pressed to go back to regular baking! Nice food styling, too!

      Comment


        #5
        ...and he's back! Well, there are many ways to make a meatloaf, and this sure sounds awesome! I love the cherry chipotle habanero combo, I bet that gives it just the right sweetness and kick. Troutman, you rule.

        Comment


        • Troutman
          Troutman commented
          Editing a comment
          Thanks for the inspiration Hank 👍

        #6
        Well...I can garontee (RIP Justin Wilson) that Grandma didn’t make no smoked meatloaf!

        Nice job, Troutman.

        Comment


          #7
          Pass me a plate of the meatloaf and a PBR, I'LL B Happy.

          Comment


            #8
            Oh wow! This looks fantastic! Thank you for sharing. I'll need to try this soon.

            Comment


              #9
              That looks great! I made a pretty good one that I rolled out, painted with the pork belly egg roll dipping sauce, wrapped in bacon, and smoked on my KBQ. I laid some roasted Hatch chilis across the top at the end of the cook, basted with the glaze for 45 minutes (maybe more, the smoker was dropping temp) and the chilis were basically candied. I posted it in SUWYC but the threads seem to have disappeared - I've been out of town so I'll keep looking for the post.

              Comment


                #10
                Wowser that looks delicious! On the "to do" list for sure.

                Comment


                  #11
                  All is becoming right in the world again, welcome back Steve, and thanks for the share! I hope you're feeling well and on a path to full recovery! Not exactly a "heart healthy" recipe for me, but we still gotta eat!!!

                  Comment


                    #12
                    Looks delicious! Will definitely try.

                    Comment


                      #13
                      Is 145 degrees safe for ground meat? I thought it needed to reach 160.

                      Comment


                      • Troutman
                        Troutman commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Actually you are technically correct. E. coli is killed exposed to 160* for a few seconds. I like to pull at 145-150* and rest in a warm oven. Carry over gets it to probably mid 150s. I like to cheat the devil a bit for really moist results.

                      #14
                      I'm so-so on meat loaf, my mother seemed to serve it every day that ended in y.
                      Always dryer than sand.
                      My be time to man up ang give loaf a try again.

                      Comment


                      • CaptainMike
                        CaptainMike commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Yes, most definitely yes.

                      • jfmorris
                        jfmorris commented
                        Editing a comment
                        My mom served meat loaf covered in tomato sauce or ketchup. It was not my favorite meal. On the flip side, as an adult, there is a diner in town that has meat loaf on certain days of the week, that I absolutely love.

                      #15
                      Way to come back, good looking recipe.

                      Comment


                      • CaptainMike
                        CaptainMike commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Gawd I loved TV back then!

                      • Troutman
                        Troutman commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Vinnie Barbarino !!!!

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