Smoked Meatloaf like nothing you’ve ever tasted

Ever wondered where the origins of the classic meatloaf came from? It may be hard for one to believe the dish can be traced back for hundreds of years.

The loaf-shaped meaty concoction can be traced back to an ancient Roman cookbook featuring a budding meatloaf combination, as did 17th-century French cooking and the culinary works of the 18th-century Pennsylvania Dutch (related to the meatball). But the Industrial Revolution was key to meatloaf’s place in our cuisine with the inception of the mechanical meat grinder.

The dish thrived through the Depression and other economically difficult times, and did not appear in cookbooks until this time. Meatloaf is usually made from ground beef, although lamb, pork, veal, venison, and poultry are commonly used.

Barbecue genius Malcom Reed has his own approach to meatloaf, and it’s not for the faint of heart — It’s meatloaf. It’s barbecued. It’s smoked. It’s delicious.

Smoked Meatloaf

The origins of meatloaf may be ancient, but Malcom Reed’s version of the meatloaf is a sign of the times … the tasty times!

• 2 pounds Ground Chuck
• 1 pound Ground Pork
• 8 ounces Bread Crumbs
• 2 Eggs
• ¼ cup Half and Half
• ½ Red Bell Pepper
• 5-6 Green Onions
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Rib of Celery
• 1 tablespoon Moore’s Original Marinade
• 2 tablespoons Barbecue Rub Seasoning (plus extra for the outside)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 Aluminum Loaf Pans
• 1 large aluminum baking pan
• Plastic Wrap

Put it together

1. Dice the vegetables then work it in with the ground beef, pork and seasonings. Then crack the two eggs and lightly beat them in a small bowl. Add the half and half to the eggs and whisk with a fork and add it to your mixture.
2. Work these ingredients by hand into the meat and vegetables until everything is combined and divide your meatloaf in half.
3. Get your smoker to 275 degrees to smoke the meatloaf. Meatloaf can fall apart pretty easy due to moving it around too much, but to keep this from happening, place them on one a cookie sheet or meshed rack.
4. Spray the sheet or rack with cooking spray to keep the meatloaf from sticking and place it over large foil pan.
5. Place the meatloaf directly in the middle of the smoker. It will take approximately two hours at 275 degrees to get the meatloaf to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. After two hours it is time to glaze your barbecue meatloaf.
6. To glaze, just brush on your favorite barbecue sauce to the top and sides of the meatloaf. It needs about 15 minutes to caramelize on the meatloaf and it’s done.
7. As with any meat coming off a smoker, give it time to cool down before serving.