Smoking meatloaf consensus question?


 
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Duane Riggs

TVWBB Member
Ok,after doing ribs, butts, and briskets the last couple of years I did chicken on the WSM for the first time on the 4th. It was great.

Having another party this sunday and I am thinking about doing a meatloaf.

I have been reading thru the forums trying to develop a technique, but I havent quite come to what the consensus is. I have a decent recipe for oven baked using ground round and pork with a pretty hefty amount of dried bread crumbs. It seems to hold the juice in so to speak.

I am going to have about 20 folks or so but a few of them will be eating salmon or chops from the grill. So I am thinking about 8-10 lb of loaf, hoping for some leftovers for lunch

So do most of you who smoke your loaf
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do 2 smaller or one larger loaf?

I prefer to use the parchment paper or disposable grate and not put it in a pan.

It seems more people are doing a lower and slow versus Chris's oven temp method. Does my loaf mix need to be wetter or drier to do one or the other without a pan?

What are the liquids most preferred in the mix?
I saw a recipe that used V8 juice that I thought sounded interesting. Actually I have some Zing Zang bloody mary mix I thought about using if I can figure the quantity.

Any other insights anyone can offer?

Thanks
 
I use 10 pounds of mixed meats along with the usual ingredients and shape 4 large loaves. My mix is pretty moist and barely holds its shape - chilling the mix before shaping helps.

I smoke at 275*F. I used to use a perforated pizza pan (see my recipe in the beef section) but am looking forward to trying the parchment method, which sounds even more effective in draining excess fat and juices and gives more wiggle room in placing the loaves on the grate (2 per grate).

If you make one or two really large loaves, you might have trouble getting the interior cooked to safe temps before the meat toward the outside dries out.

Rita
 
Rita is right on. I did enjoy having a glaze and would rec. you glaze them.
My last loaf had no added licquid-just egg plus dry ingredients. It was very moist cooked at 275. 325 would speed things up a little. Go light on smoke wood. My last cook had 2 small left over chunks.
 
I usually make a small loaf, 2-3 lbs. I put the meat in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper and refridgerate for two hours. When the smoker is ready to cook I remove the meatloaf from the pan and place it directly on the grill. It holds its' shape during the cook. No additional support is needed.
 
I've made quite a few 2-3# loaves. I have always cooked them at 250+-. I use recipes a guidance but never follow any specific one. I like to use tomato juice but bloody mary mix sounds like a great idea. I have always cooked on a piece of foil with the edges folded up (same for salmon). I have never applied a glaze. I agree with Steve that you need to go light on the smoke wood. The meatloaf is always moist and if not eaten on the spot, they make great sandwiches the next day.

I have also cooked a salmon filet next to a meatloaf many a time. I think you can smoke a salmon a little more but, but I find the temp and timing to be complimentary.
 
This probably sounds silly, but I bought a couple of these a few years ago and they are, as the kids these days say, "the shizzle." They're the Brinkman Meatloaf Pan, which is essentially a meatloaf-pan shaped piece of wire mesh. I use these things all the time for sausage at BBQ contests, and for meatloaf in the smoker at home. No problem at all with juice buildup, etc., and around 45 minutes before I'm ready to take the loaf off of the smoker, I flip them over to remove and glaze the outside. Non-stick spray is a MUST on these things if you want to preserve a great crust.

I bought mine from Hawgeyes BBQ online - go to this page and look for the "meat loaf basket" about 3/4 of the way down the page on the right column.

Hawgeyes BBQ Accessory Page
 
I use this recipe:

1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use Progresso Italian)
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onions, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 pounds ground beef
1 pound Jimmy Dean Hot sausage
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
5 or 6 dashes of Worchestershire
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Saute the diced onions in the oil until they turn golden (about 10 minutes). Soak the bread crumbs in the milk for a couple minutes. Mix everything together and form into loaf. I smoke the loaf on a piece of parchment paper cut as close to the size of the loaf as possible. With the WSM that allows all the grease to drain into the water pan and the smoke penetrates the bottom of the loaf making a smoke ring there as well. I smoke at 300-350* until the loaf hits 170-175*. Sometimes I put a red sauce (ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard to taste) on top for the last half hour or so.

The best part of meatloaf are the sandwiches made with the leftovers.

Griff
 
If you make the loaves too big, the outside will get overdone before the middle gets cooked. That has happened to me. Parchment paper works great just laid on the grate, plop the loaf on it till done.
 
I use Chris' method, found here except I use bread crumbs instaed of crackers and I don't sauce it. I also substitute Sriracha sauce (hot Thai chili sauce) for the ketchup as suggested by others here. I cook it over 300 for as long as it takes to get to temp and go easy on the smoke wood. Everyone I've served it to loved it but it could be too spicy for some. If so, you could use 1/2 ketcup and 1/2 Sriracha but it's not quite the same. Just have some creamy mashed potatoes to go with it, they're a nice accompanyment to the spicy meatloaf.
 
so much for consensus ...

I do around 5lb loaves, one on each grate .. round and flattened so it fills the grate to 2" back from edge (max) ... on parchment paper .. I use some bread crumbs, sometimes some rolled oats somtimes some cornmeal depending .. not too much bready stuff .. a couple eggs, usually lots of woos sauce .. somtimes a bit of cream or picante sauce depending .. if it needs a bit more liquid I usually add water ... lots of dehydrated onion flakes .. just enough water in the pan to keep drippings from smoking .. hot as I can run the WSM

I like a southwest flavor, slice and serve with fresh diced veggies, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, fresh salsa and tortilla chips. I use a few bread crumbs, some cornmeal, dried cilantro, chipotle chile powder, salsa/picante sauce, cumin, ground corriander, dehyd onion flakes, eggs, salt and coarse black pepper.

Regular italian style is ok too .. use some kraft parmesean cheese in it.
Click link 2004-10-30 Meat Loaf for pics
 
When I cooked a meatloaf on my old brinkmonster I used Quaker oats instead of bread crumbs...really absorbs excess moisture.

Now stripping the parts on the brinkmonster to be used on the WSM.
 
Check out Ole Man Jim's recipe under the beef recipes. Definitely use ground chuck. Had some leftover hamburger last weekend (sirloin) and the meatloaf was a little dry. Also use parchment paper and poke some holes for drainage.
 
Shawn, those meatloaves are huge! They look great too.
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I assume that with the parchment paper you're using, you get no drippage of the top loaf onto the bottom?
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Hays:
Shawn, those meatloaves are huge! They look great too.
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I assume that with the parchment paper you're using, you get no drippage of the top loaf onto the bottom? </div></BLOCKQUOTE> a little bit but mainly at the edges ... it seems for the most part the drippings don't pass through the parchment paper (at least with the parchment I'm using). One other curiosity is the bottom smoke ring formation .. I expected none but it always seeems to be there.

One other note on the pics I posted, I now trim the paper to fit or be a bit smaller than than the loaf unlike in the pics .. the reason for this is the tip and drain. I want to make sure after I remove the meatloaf I can tip and drain the grate into the water pan. If the paper is too big the grease can miss the water pan and run down the side, light up and cause a rather large flame to flare up.
 
All of the above suggestions are great. One of the things I do is use a combination of beef, pork and veal to start with. In our stores up here in Maine that meat mixture is called a "meatball" mix. What we usually do is purchase a pound of each and mix at home using any old meatloaf recipe. Though I have to admit Dwain's southestern meatloaf sounds awesome.....going to have to try that one!!!!
 
I made one on the 4th and recieved many compliments. I pretty much go by Chris's recipe in the cooking section. The biggest difference is I just use hamburger. I haven't seen grond pork in our stores around here. I haven't looked very hard either. I buy a side of beef every year and have a large supply of hamburger. On the 4th I did make a change that I think made it even more moist than usual. I left out the onion powder and added pretty much all of a medium onion to it. I got the idea from a hamburger recipe posted here I will be doing it that way again.

As for cooking I use the higher temp method but seem to have a hard time holding over 300 for long periods of time. I just go with the flow. It is the temp that matters. I mix in a large tupperware bowl then just pat it down when finished mixing. Then turn it out to cook. The loaf is around 10" in diameter and about 3" thick. Lots of smoke ring.
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I use the foil pizza pan like Chris suggests to keep the cleanup easy. I bought some cooling racks at the dollar store that are about the same diameter as the foil pan. I turn out the loaf onto the rack to keep it out of the grease.

I see a few variations here I am going to have to try. Like the southwest one. Sounds good.
 
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