Meat loaf

[Spence]

I'm dying to try smoking meatloaf but get funny looks from wife when I mention it.  Who's had good success?  Proper thickness, cook temp, final internal temp?

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[UWFSAE]

I haven't made one myself but I've eaten one at a local diner/smokehouse down in Baytown, TX.  It was quite good; it was the standard size/shape (like a short, thick baguette) of an oven meatloaf, was bacon wrapped (not a weave, just strips) and they actually finished the glaze on it with a little cooking torch when they pulled them from the smoker.

I'll try to drop by tomorrow when I'm in the office and ask them for their smoking temps.

[DivotMaker]

Here's several recipes on smoking-meat.com:

http://www.smoking-meat.com/tag/meatloaf

See what you think.  I, personally, can't stand meatloaf - but my wife loves it!  Maybe I just haven't had the right kind!  Some of these recipes look pretty tasty!

[Spence]

Thanks guys!!

[puddle jumper]

Hope you dont mind me jumping right in here,, 
 Its not exactly the same thing but do a google search for a 'BBQ Fatty',,, lots of cool things to do along the lines of meatloaf...Oh and they are great!!
 
PJ

[UWFSAE]

OK, I checked with the little BBQ joint here near my office.  They won't reveal the recipe but I was able to get some info:

- Smoke at 250 until you hit 150-155 internal temp.
- Use a good ground chuck in the 80/20 range.
- He told me they ground up par cooked bacon in their house grind for the hamburger meat.
- He also recommended par cooking the onions in beef suet or butter before you build your loaf.

As best I can tell, they don't sauce (and they uses a spicy ketchup for the glaze) until they pull the meat loaf and then caramelize the glaze with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a blowtorch.

Hope this helps, Spence.

Oh, and Puddle ... jump in whenever you feel the spirit move you.  And if you're a fan of BBQ Fatties, you need to give the Bacon Explosion a chance ...

[DivotMaker]

No problem, Puddle Jumper!  Welcome to the party.  Lots of great stuff on fattys out there, for sure, but I think they're mostly sausage (correct me if I'm wrong - never made one, just read of them).  Please be sure to share your good recipes!

[Spence]

Thanks for your extra effort!

Gives me a great starting point.  Don't think one could go wrong with this method.

[puddle jumper]

[
Oh, and Puddle ... jump in whenever you feel the spirit move you.  And if you're a fan of BBQ Fatties, you need to give the Bacon Explosion a chance ...
[/quote]

Thanks you,, I will,,,
I guess mine arent fattys, I do them with hamburger and a bacon wrap,, and all sorts of goodies inside..
PJ
Oh and I will do a proper intro when I get my smoker on order, I feel kind of funny
not having my smoker yet and being on here.. but i have been doing a ton of reading on here and other places and in stoked about getting one....

[DivotMaker]

OK, Puddle, you definitely have to post that recipe.  The thing that's turned me off of most fatty recipes I've seen is too much sausage (a little goes a long way with me). 

Don't feel funny - a lot of people check us out before taking the plunge!  Good way to do research.  Yes, we're probably a little biased, but our bias is based on experience.  You simply can't beat Smokin-It for value, quality and customer service! 

Hang out here whenever you can, chime-in, and let us know when you pull the trigger!  BTW, if you can afford the #3 instead of a 2, go for it.  You can always cook a little in a big cooker, but are limited by depth and height with the smaller ones.  I have a #1 - great unit, but I'm pretty limited.  Just my opinion, though!

[swthorpe]

Welcome, Puddle!   I agree with Divot, but I purchased a #2 that is working fine for my family of 4, with occasional cooks for more.    The babybacks, though, do need to be cut in half to fit in the #2, but even then I can easily smoke 3 to 4 racks in one session.   I have also done two 5# chickens side by side on one rack.  A batch of 25-30 wings is also possible.

Let's us know when you make a decision!  Happy smok'in!

[puddle jumper]

Thanks guys,,,
   I usually cook for me my wife and daughter,, so there are only the three of us 95% of the time and for everything else I have the war wagon,,, "more on that later" so I think the #2 will do me for most of my needs,,,
 
PJ

Spence , Sorry about the hijack,,, all the sausage in the fatty and the bacon wrap was to much for me also so switched it up to hamburger and sometimes ground deer... then added cheese, shrooms and other things inside..

[Rob Babcock]

Hahaha!  Not only do I never use the oven for 'loaf any longer, I actually have a couple meatloafs in my #3 right now!  IMO meatloaf always comes out great when I use my Smokin-It #3.

[DivotMaker]

I bet a loaf with a mix of ground chuck and deer would be pretty tasty!  Good combo, in my book!

[Spence]

Hey Rob,
Got any special meatloaf recipes you use on the smoker?