I was going back and forth yesterday on whether to use the WSM, kettle or gasser for the meatloaf..... I finally decided to stick with the original plan of using the gasser just because I knew it would be easier....

Didn't get it going until 4pm.... finally got it off 7:30 or so.... I'm liking the new set up
I did go with almond + ~10% plum --- I don't know why, but I just HAD to throw something else in with it.... it would have felt wrong if I didn't.... Damn - that almond smoke smells so incredible!!! The smoke flavor came thru really good too - although the reheat tonight will tell the true story. The glaze was just a simple mixture of Heinz Ketchili (sweet chili ketchup) and dijon mustard thinned out with a little beer... And that was a meatloaf that has been in the freezer for 5-6 months (?) that I've been meaning to cook for awhile now....







Some extra nerdy stuff if you are interested....

Spoiler: show

I know I dialed the 2 burner in a year or more back, but with the new rack, it allowed me to put the probe anywhere I wanted...... so I was checking just what was really going on with the temps... I always set up for smoking with one burner on the lowest setting and the other off ---- its always worked well without any worries. It was nice to confirm exactly what I thought it was doing....

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At that setting - the lid temp reads only ~150-160 or so... but the temp right under the meat ---- a perfect 250ish!!!!

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My plan was to take the loaf up to ~135-140 at 250 and then crack the heat up to ~325-350 to set the bark and glaze.... As the loaf was coming up to ~140 or so about 2 hour in, I realized it was going to finish pretty quick... It hadn't developed much in the way or bark or color yet - not what I wanted, it looked kinda sad actually - and I had quite a lot of smoke left in the tube.... So I did something that many of you can't ---- I turned the burner off and let just sit in the smoke!!! The temp climbed up to 145 and then started cooling off --- it dropped back down to ~115-120 after about 30-40 minutes - sucking up almond smoke the whole time. I then started both burners on low for 350ish heat and brushed it with some left over Wagyu fat.... Took it back up to ~140 and then glazed it... Pulled it at 160 when it looked 'right'.

Say what you will about smoking on a gasser.... but when you know what to do --- and CAN do --- its actually amazing and easy! And by the way ---- propane and a smoke tube is sooooo much cheaper than charcoal or running a pellet grill for that time. You just CAN'T feel bad about it.

You need to cut the umbilical to the gasser for everything. Dont get me wrong, they seeve a purpose a do some rhings very well. Truly smoking a meatloaf is incredible. One of my favorites. You wont regret the effort or time spent. I promise.

gotta say WOW I even pick up the wrong bottle saw Aloha and grabbed it... nice flavor and not salty

Damn good looking short ribs Chris!

I'm doing Beef Jerky today, prep was really easy!

Go to Cash and carry, buy hunk of Beef. Give Beef to Steve.

Steve butchers, trims, freeze's and slices.

Steve marinates it overnight, them I pick it up.

Lay slices on racks and smoke at low temp.

Easy beef Jerk!

Steve is jerk-king?

Dickhead....

Yeah, I'm smoking the other half of the batch.

Pretty good gig.

It's been so cold and rainy that I haven't used the smoker much this year yet.

But right now there's some trimmed beef ribs on there - alas not the good, thick dino plate ribs. 17 dollars as opposed to 80, though. They're sitting next to some trimmed wagyu fat in a foil tray, for wrapping, later.

Nice, let us know how the ribs turn out. I've got two racks of the cheap beef ribs in the freezer, bought when the price was right, and I'll be doing them sometime soon. I've never done them before, just the dino ribs.

And that reminds me. I smoked jerky yesterday (3.5 hours) and was planning to smoke some Wagyu tallow since the smoker was going anyhow . . . and forgot to do so. Grrrrr.

Bam. With a salad, with a vinegary dressing with mint and oregano from my friend's garden.

Looks juicy and luscious

Yup. That ain't a dino rib, but it sure looks damned good.

I used Mad Scientist BBQ's technique, but scaling back time since it wasn't dino rib. Otherwise that was the technique. I even had some rendered wagyu fat.

The next question is whether I have any rendered tallow at all for doing plate ribs soonish.