How To Make Smoked Meatloaf

Smoked meatloaf starts where most meatloaf recipes never go: with freshly ground beef. Brandon Anderson, General Manager at Black's BBQ in New Braunfels, Texas, builds his from five pounds of Certified Angus Beef prime brisket trim, ground in-house and smoked low and slow on a post oak fire. Here is how to make it at home.

What Makes This Meatloaf Different

Most meatloaf is made with ketchup. This one uses Texas BBQ sauce, which, as Brandon points out, is still ketchup-based, but brings garlic, pepper, spice, and sweetness that ketchup alone cannot deliver. That barbecue sauce goes two places: mixed into the meat itself for moisture and flavor, and glazed over the outside in the final stretch of the cook. Combined with post oak smoke and a crust built from garlic-pepper seasoning and black pepper, what comes out of the smoker has a smoke ring all the way around and far more depth than anything from an oven.

A Note on Using Your Own Recipe

Brandon makes a point of saying that meatloaf is personal. "Everybody has that real special meatloaf recipe that maybe got passed down from your grandmother or your grandfather or your mom or your dad." If you have a family recipe you love, use it. The one adjustment worth making is to substitute your favorite Texas BBQ sauce anywhere the recipe calls for ketchup, and add your favorite barbecue rub to the outside before it goes on the smoker. "Promise you it'll come out great."

Smoked Meatloaf Recipe

What You Need

• 5 lbs Certified Angus Beef prime brisket trim, ground on a coarse setting twice
• ½ cup onions
• ¼ cup celery
• ¼ cup carrots
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup Texas BBQ sauce, plus more for glazing
• Garlic pepper seasoning, to taste
• Coarse black pepper, to taste

Grinding the Beef

• Chill the meat, the meat grinder, and all grinder components in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before grinding
• Grind the brisket trim on the coarse setting twice

Keeping everything as cold as possible keeps the fat solidified during the grind. Warm meat in a warm grinder causes the fat to liquefy, and the grind suffers as a result. Take the extra step and chill everything down first.

Making and Shaping the Meatloaf

• Combine the ground beef, onions, celery, carrots, bread crumbs, eggs, and BBQ sauce in a bowl
• Season generously with garlic pepper seasoning
• Mix until fully incorporated
• Line a chilled loaf pan with cling film
• Press the mixture firmly into the pan
• Place the pan in the freezer for 45 minutes to one hour, until the loaf holds its shape

Chilling the shaped loaf before it goes on the smoker is just as important as chilling the meat before grinding. It keeps the fat from breaking down on the grates and helps the loaf hold together through the entire cook.

Meatloaf on the Smoker

• Flip the chilled loaf out of the pan onto a sheet of butcher paper
• Brush the outside with a thin layer of Texas BBQ sauce as a binder
• Season the outside generously with garlic pepper seasoning and coarse black pepper
• Place on the bottom rack of the smoker close to the firebox
• Smoke at 250 to 275°F for approximately 2 to 3 hours total

At the 1-hour mark, check color and internal temperature, looking for good color on the edges and an internal temperature climbing toward 140°F. When the internal temperature reaches 140°F, generously glaze the top with Texas BBQ sauce and continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Slicing and Serving

Let the meatloaf rest for a few minutes before slicing. When you cut in, you are looking for a smoke ring around the edges, plenty of moisture in the center, and clean slices that hold together. As Brandon puts it: "You immediately get some of that garlic from that seasoning, and then you get the pepper that we crusted on the outside of it. The sweetness from the barbecue sauce is what makes it a little bit different than your traditional meatloaf."

A Few Things to Know

• Keep everything cold. The meat, the grinder, the pan, and the shaped loaf all benefit from time in the freezer before they hit the heat.
• Grind on the coarse setting twice. One pass is not enough.
• Butcher paper under the loaf keeps the bottom clean and prevents meat from falling through the grates.
• Texas BBQ sauce does double duty here: inside the meat for moisture and on top for the glaze. Do not skip either step.
• 165°F is your pull temperature. A smoke ring all the way around, with moisture in the center when you slice, means the cook went right.

If you want to taste what Central Texas BBQ technique does to a comfort food classic, come see us at any Black's BBQ location in Lockhart, New Braunfels, Austin, or San Marcos.

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