Meatloaf The Ultimate Comfort Food

SMOKED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Place the ground beef in a large bowl, along with two cloves of minced garlic, the bbq rub, Worcestershire, breadcrumbs and egg. Mix the half and half with the lemon juice, and then pour that in, followed by the 8 ounces of shredded cheese.
• Keep the cheese grater out, and after removing the outer layers of the onion, grate the onion into the mixture too. Sure you can just dice the onion, but grating it adds moisture and eliminates the need to cook the onion prior.
• With your hands, gently work the ingredients together until everything is combined. It's gonna be messy and you're going to feel like the mixture is too wet. It's not.
• Dump the mixture out onto a large sheet of parchment paper, and then form a loaf with your hands. Use the parchment paper to help. Once the loaf is made, carefully roll the loaf onto a grill rack that is set on top of a cookie sheet lined with foil. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
• After the meatloaf has chilled for 30 minutes turn your smoker on and get it ready to cook at 225 degrees.
• Remove the meatloaf from the refrigerator and sprinkle the outside with more of your favorite bbq rub. I used Blackened Saskatchewan for the inside, and Beef Rub for the outside.
• When the smoker gets up to temp place the meatloaf inside. Let it smoke for 4-5 hours. The meatloaf is done when the internal temp hits 160 degrees
• About 15 minutes before the meatloaf is ready, brush on some bbq sauce to the exterior of the loaf. This will add to the flavor profile of the loaf, and bring home a winning end result.

MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Make the meatloaf: Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste until well combined; let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine bread and milk, and mash with a spoon until a paste forms. Add eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme and cooled onion mixture and mix until well blended. Add the beef, pork and veal, and mix gently to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat. Divide mixture into 2 equal portions and shape each into a 4-by-8-inch meatloaf on the prepared baking sheet.
• Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Use a spoon to spread mixture over the top and sides of each meatloaf. Bake until nicely browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of meatloaf registers 160 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

TYLER'S ULTIMATE MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes.
• Add red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes until soft. Add tomatoes.
• Stir in the parsley, ketchup and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper.
• Simmer relish for 5 minutes then remove from the heat.
• Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture.
• Transfer the meat mixture to the center of a lightly oiled cookie sheet and form into a log (around 9 x 4-inches).
• Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish and then lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.
• Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm, rotating the meatloaf periodically to ensure even browning.
• Remove the meatloaf from oven and let it cool a bit before slicing.

CLASSIC MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place bread in food processor; pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a small bowl; stir in milk. Set aside, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine beef, pork, onion, garlic, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add bread-milk mixture, and mix very gently with a fork (do not overmix).
• Place meat mixture on prepared baking sheet, and form into a loaf about 9 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide.
• Bake, brushing twice with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup during baking, until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Let meatloaf rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.