Deadly Meatloaf

This deadly meatloaf will knock your socks off. Whether it be on the smoker or in the oven, this recipe is a sure fire win.

In a medium mixing bowl add your cubed bread and milk. This is replacing your everyday breadcrumbs that are normally put in. Not only will the bread/milk mixture work as a binder, it will also ensure a moist meatloaf.

Mix and mash the bread into the milk until it reaches a paste like consistency. If needed you can always add more milk based on the size of bread slices that you are using. I was using a small loaf therefore a 1/4 cup was enough.

Now that you have your paste consistency, it's time to add in the regular ground beef and the Johnsonville pork. I suggest regular ground beef and pork for the added fat content. Nobody likes a dry meatloaf not too mention all the added flavor!

Time for some seasoning! I add 1/4 cup Deadly Bovine Rub to my meatloaf. With the coarse sea salt, minced garlic and cracked pepper, it compliments any beef recipe perfectly.
Veggies be thy name. Can't do a meatloaf without some diced veggies in there. Such flavor boosters, not to mention it adds a little bit of a healthy touch lol. I'm a huge fan of yellow peppers, which is why this recipe calls for it. Add in your small yellow pepper, large shallot and minced garlic.

Let's get our hands dirty. The secret to a tender meatloaf is to handle the ground meats the least amount as possible and keeping it cold. I always suggest washing your hands in cold water prior to mixing. When the ground meat gets overworked and warm it activates the muscle tissue in it which makes a stringy consistency to it. Mix everything together until just combined and try to do it with as minimal touching as possible.

Now that it is all combined it's time to set your smoker or oven to 325 degrees. Get yourself a pan, either perforated for a smoker or cookie sheet for oven. Form your meatloaf into a log. No need for grandma's loaf pan, it's a new day and age. Try and keep the log as even as possible. Place it on your pan and give it another dusting of Deadly Bovine Rub over top.

If you have a Meater+ slip it in on the side of the meatloaf. There is a setting for meatloaf and the internal temperature is set to 150 degrees. Set your timer to go off 20 minutes prior to being done. If not you'll be baking it for roughly 45 minutes.

Once your timer goes off it's time to sauce. Get yourself a brush and paint on the BBQ sauce as thick or this as you like. After being sauced it's time to finish cooking. Saucing before the cook is complete helps it to tack on. Let those sugars melt down and give your meatloaf a nice glossy finish. One little trick I've picked up over the years is to add a little more rub just after saucing. A coarse rub will stand out and give an amazing textured look to the finished product.

Let the meatloaf finish cooking. If you have the Meater+ in then go until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. If you don't then you are looking at about another 15-20 minutes. Once you're done cooking, let the meat rest on the counter for 10-15 minutes. Perch a piece of aluminum foil over the meatloaf and give it some time before slicing. This is a tip for any meat that you cook, always rest before slicing into it. When it is fresh out of the smoker/oven the meat is still in a cooking state with the temperature still climbing slowly. You want that process to stop and for the meat to re-absorb the juices it is currently trying to push out. As this is a smaller chunk of meat the rest time is less. The larger the cut of meat, the longer you will want to rest it.

Now that the hurry up and wait phase is over, it comes time for my favorite part. Let's get that beautiful meatloaf sliced, plated and into some hungry bellies. This is the perfect meat for any family, or if you want to refrigerate it and slice it for sandwich meat. Either way this recipe will find it's way into your regular rotation.

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