Meatloaf..... I have yet to try this....sooooo, here goes.
Yesterday i combined a mixture of 2lbs 80/20 ground beef, 1lb jimmy dean hot sausage, 2/3 of a medium chopped onion, some fresh chopped garlic, bell pepper, japaleno, an egg, some bread crumbs, rub for seasoning & a little bbq sauce. I formed them up in a regular loaf pan & 2 mini loaf pans & placed in the fridge to firm up for today.
I then took a few lbs of tomatoes cut them in half & put in a dutch oven. Cooked them down & removed the skins from the pot. Added a tbs of sugar, 1 star anice, 1/2 vanilla bean (cut in half lengthwise & scraped), salt & pepper & about 10 whole pieces of garlic. I allowed this to reduce at a simmer for a couple of hours. Just prior to finishing I added some quality olive oil. At this point i usually add some fresh basil but will add this just prior to serving.
My intention is to use this homemade, very light & refreshing, tomato sauce instead of ketchup, with mozzarella pearls & fresh sliced basil.
I use this same basic process when I make meatball po-boys, except the bread gets split & toasted in the oven with grated parm (keeps the bread from getting soggy) prior to the meatballs & red gravy being added. I then add mozzarella pearls & place back under the broiler & then add fresh basil. Classic italian flavors. This should also work well with meatloaf & mashed potatoes. We will see. I will post pictures later.
It was a success! The cook took just over 2 hours @ 225 to reach IT 160. I used about 2 oz pecan. Once placed on the seafood rack, i slathered on some of the red gravy prior to starting up the smoker.
Mashed some potatoes & made a salad of fresh basil, baby kale, baby spinach, & radish greens. I made a quick pickle of cucumber, onion & radish & added a tbs of greek garlic spread & some olive oil. Then tossed with salad.
Once out of the smoker, the meatloaf was sliced, more red gravy was added as was mozzarella. It was then placed under the broiler for the cheese to melt. Once melted, it was removed & fresh basil strips were sprinkled over to top along with a few pieces of the slow cooked garlic from the sauce.
The meatloaf was moist & the smoke was a light background note to the overall flavor profile. Unfortunately, I was not able to get a picture. However, there is a little leftover. Tomorrow I will put together another plate & take a picture before consumption.
Overall, I was very pleased with my 1st smoked meatloaf. This is another receipe I will repeat. Enjoy, we did.
