Meatloaf in the kettle: Wood or no wood?

[JeffJ]

I am contemplating cooking meatloaf in the Performer next week. It will be indirect heat so no smoke from drippings. Should I use a little wood? I've heard that ground beef has a tendency to REALLY absorb smoke, so I was thinking just a small chunk of pecan or cherry.

Thoughts?

[Jerod Broussard]

LOTTA wood.

My first cook on my offset was with mesquite wood chunks and meatloaf. I put the mack daddiest bark on that dude. Course, 450+ pit temps and flames shooting out the firebox into the smoke box will do that.

LOVED it.

[DWCowles]

I did a meatloaf last year with the Lang and it turned out great plus hickory wood was the only heat source. Funny you mention meatloaf my wife ask me to do another when we get home.

[Jerod Broussard]

Layer some bacon on that bad boy. Ground meat gives the prettiest, most defined, thin little smoke ring you never saw.

[DWCowles]

You're correct about the smoke ring Jerod Broussard

[JeffJ]

Thanks for all of the responses. I will go heavy on the wood. I am glad I asked. Bacon is a great idea but my wife is seriously dieting and she'd probably thump me in a sensitive area if I slathered a loaf with bacon, at least right now.

[_John_]

Just did one, 1/3 mesquite and 2/3 hickory. Crust was so good I said we need to do the next one in one of those all edge brownie dishes.

[Jerod Broussard]

I put mine on frog mats. All sides pretty much bare.

[_John_]

Same here

[JeffJ]

The last loaf I made had enough form that I'd be able to put it right on the grate, which I think would be optimal.

[MattTheGR8]

You're definitely on the right track, especially cooking it on a rack and not in a pan. I always do mine that way, wrapped in bacon and with a chuck of hickory on the coals. If your wife ever lets you do one wrapped in bacon, be careful not to burn the bacon. I always end up wrapping mine in foil toward the end of the cook to keep the bacon from burning and finish the loaf in a timely fashion.

[JeffJ]

Thanks for the tip, Matt. Burning the bacon never entered into my thought process. The only time I've used bacon on the grill was when I wrapped shrimp in it. For a short cook like that I had to pre-cook the bacon a bit so it wasn't just a mushy pile of fat wrapped around a nice piece of shrimp.

[Huskee]

On a kettle you may find a little wood goes a long way, especially on ground beef. Taste is all subjective of course, but I'd opt for one *small* chunk and no more.

[JeffJ]

I think I'll heed that advice. This will be the first time I've done it on the grill and I'd rather have too little than too much smoke.

[Huskee]

JeffJ I like a lot of smoke flavor, I burn logs, but when I do burgers I tend to use very little wood on the kettle. Lower airflow, more smoke punch. Your plan is solid, since you'll know for next time if you should use a lot or stick with a little.