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Per serving
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- 1
Fire up the smoker
Get your smoker to a steady 225F. For meatloaf I run hickory with a little mesquite hickory for the backbone, mesquite for punch. Let it settle into clean, thin blue smoke before anything goes on. Thick white billowing smoke will turn the bark bitter, so be patient here.
- 2
Mix the loaf
In a large bowl, combine the lightly beaten eggs, finely chopped onion, bread crumbs, milk, 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce, the Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Add the ground beef and mix it with your hands just until it comes together. Overwork it and you get a dense, rubbery loaf every time keep it light.
- 3
Build the rub and shape
In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, garlic salt, onion powder and cayenne. Shape the beef into a 10x4-inch loaf directly on a greased smoker rack not in a pan so smoke wraps every side and you get bark all the way around. Coat the whole loaf with the rub.
- 4
Smoke to 145F
Set the loaf in the smoker and let it ride until a thermometer in the center reads 145F, about 1 hour. Leave the door shut. Every time you open it to peek you drop the temp and add time, and this loaf is delicate enough that it doesn't need babysitting.
- 5
Glaze and finish
Brush the loaf generously with the remaining 3/4 cup barbecue sauce and smoke until a thermometer reads 160F, another 10 to 15 minutes. That final stretch sets the glaze into a sticky lacquer over the bark that's the payoff.
- 6
Rest, then slice
Pull the loaf and let it stand 10 minutes so the juices redistribute cut too soon and they run out onto the board. Use a serrated knife; smoked meatloaf slices tender and a straight blade will tear it.
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Pitmaster's Smoked Meatloaf
Created by: SmokeRingSteve
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 onion
- 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 lb ground beef
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Fire up the smokerGet your smoker to a steady 225F. For meatloaf I run hickory with a little mesquite hickory for the backbone, mesquite for punch. Let it settle into clean, thin blue smoke before anything goes on. Thick white billowing smoke will turn the bark bitter, so be patient here.
- Mix the loafIn a large bowl, combine the lightly beaten eggs, finely chopped onion, bread crumbs, milk, 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce, the Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Add the ground beef and mix it with your hands just until it comes together. Overwork it and you get a dense, rubbery loaf every time keep it light.
- Build the rub and shapeIn a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, garlic salt, onion powder and cayenne. Shape the beef into a 10x4-inch loaf directly on a greased smoker rack not in a pan so smoke wraps every side and you get bark all the way around. Coat the whole loaf with the rub.
- Smoke to 145FSet the loaf in the smoker and let it ride until a thermometer in the center reads 145F, about 1 hour. Leave the door shut. Every time you open it to peek you drop the temp and add time, and this loaf is delicate enough that it doesn't need babysitting.
- Glaze and finishBrush the loaf generously with the remaining 3/4 cup barbecue sauce and smoke until a thermometer reads 160F, another 10 to 15 minutes. That final stretch sets the glaze into a sticky lacquer over the bark that's the payoff.
- Rest, then slicePull the loaf and let it stand 10 minutes so the juices redistribute cut too soon and they run out onto the board. Use a serrated knife; smoked meatloaf slices tender and a straight blade will tear it.