A Colossal Failure!

[bbq engineer]

OK...it has been a long time since I have absolutely been disgusted with something that I have smoked...but this is one of those rare ocassions. Let me start out with the meal plan.

I think I have been pretty honest about my general apathy for meatloaf. I have never really liked it, and I think it is a textural thing for me. Last week Mrs. Engineer began to request some meatloaf, and she was quick to point out that I could smoke it to bring me on board. So there you have it...Smoked meatloaf, Some wilted Swiss Chard with Bacon, and cheese potatoes.

I prepared the meatloaf and got that going. 2 lbs of hamburger, seasoned bread crumbs, onions, green chilis, eggs as a binder. Seasoned well, and into the smoker.

As it neared completion, I picked some Swiss Chard from Mrs. Engineer's small garden...(the weather has been so nice, the chard has gotten enormous).


I chopped the chard into sections and removed the stalk...Into the pan with some sesame oil and bacon bits.


I pulled the meatloaf and got that ready to go...It looked really nice.


Plated with some cheesy potatoes...


It looked really good, and I couldn't wait to dig in. I could tell with my first bite of meatloaf, that this was not good. In fact it was horrible. Mrs. Engineer couldn't eat it either. So we had a dinner of cheesy potatoes and wilted chard, both of which was really good.

The meatloaf was so over smoked that it was just horrible! I don't like meatloaf very well any way, but I thought that smoked it may work for me. It didn't. We threw the whole thing away. I don't know what I did wrong, except make meatloaf.

Thanks for looking at my colossal failure.

 

[oneshot]

What wood did you use to smoke it?????

 

[bbq engineer]

Smoked with Pecan wood. I usually love pecan wood, and was thinking that this may have taken on more smoke because it wasn't one single piece of meat to start with.

The only other time that I have had something so over smoked that I had to throw it out, was when I did chex mix in the smoker. I figured that was because of the increased surface area of all the little cereal pieces. A good idea, but executed poorly.

 

[bassman]

When I do meat loaf on the smoker, I leave it in a pan so any smoke flavor is mainly on the top. I think it turns out good but then again, I like meatloaf.

 

[pepeskitty]

First of all thanks for sharing you failure with us, it is easy to post when things go well but when things don't turn out, then thats when we really need to post to help others with our mistakes.

I have made meatloaf many times and have had good success with it (judging from the compliments). I am not sure exactly what was wrong with your mealoaf but I did notice some things that you did differently. I don't use eggs in mine when I smoke it. The hamburger has enough fat in to bind it once it sets up. I also don't use bread crumbs either. I would think that is why your smoke was so strong. The bread soaked up all that smoke.

When I make mine, I use about two pounds of hamburger and add diced onions, garlic and green pepper and slice mushrooms. I also add about 3/4 cup of ketchup and salt and pepper to taste. I mix it all up and make a loaf out of it and place this on the small shallow baking pan for the first hour in the smoker. This allows the meat time to set up and then I take it off and set directly on the grill. Temps are about 225 and cook until 160. I also put some Sweet Baby Rays on the top the last half hour.

I am not saying this is right or wrong, just different. Just a thought. Hope this helps.

 

[got14u]

Nothing is a failure if you learn from it......well atleast you can put a spin on it...nice try tho...and now you know what not to do....it sure looked good

 

[oneshot]

BBQ E, try it this way with Maple if you can get it. I think you'll change your mind on meatloaf....

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=80666

 

[smokebuzz]

I agree, learn from this event. One thing I have noticed is ground meats take on more smoke than a soilid peice, thats why I cook it at 275-300, more cooking that smoke in take. And as you already know, small hot fire to keep the billowing smoke down.

It does look very good, I like smoked buger alot, still not a big sausage fan in the fatty form.

 

[meat hunter]

Sorry to hear about your loss there BBQ. If one were to judge thou on looks alone, it looks fantastic. Interesting point of the fact that ground meats take on more smoke than solid pieces, never would have thought that. Don't give up on meatloaf. Like they said in the reply's, maybe next time try it in a pan so only the top gets hit with smoke or a higher temp for quicker cooking.

 

[ronp]

Sorry for your loss. I thought mine tasted like crap also. Next day Carol declared it a success, and I tried it again, not bad the next day, can't reall explain that.

I am with you though not a big fan of meat loaf, and it has to have some gravy on it. I feel the same about fatties without the gravy.

Live and learn.

 

[rickw]

It sure looks good. Thanks for sharing you failure along with your many successes.

I did a meatloaf some time back, using a typical meatloaf recipe, and it turned out very good. I used some oak and a lot of cherry wood. Then again I do like meatloaf as well.

 

[mballi3011]

Man I'm really sorry fpr the boo boo but don't worry you just learned a big lesson. If you learn from it then it was just a learning experance. Or something like that.

 

[alx]

I have only done one and smoked at 300 degree.She was getting close to oversmoked,so i figure next one i will bump up tthe heat a tad more,since i do em at 350 degree in oven...

I too was suprised out how quick it absorbed the small amount of smoke i used...

Thanks for your honesty.I have a feeling most folk gloss over these things

 

[pineywoods]

Sorry it didn't turn out so good. As was mentioned earlier I smoke mine in one of those disposable aluminum pans the ones for bread then I just poke holes in the bottom to let the juices drain. Try it again I won't eat regular meatloaf either but I actually like smoked

 

[rivet]

Hey sorry to hear about the bad meatloaf, it did look nice though. As a general rule I hate meatloaf, but from your thread I can't figure out what went wrong either. Maybe it was the breadcrumbs and egg? Maybe meat alone would have been better....?

 

[beer-b-q]

Sorry about the meatloaf, Maybe next time...

 

[canned smoke]

I had what I consider a not so good smoke with a brisket the other day. It actually came out under smoked, basically a roast. I pulled it and saved just a small part of the flat. 2 days later I got the piece of flat out to slice and it had regained some red color and the smoke smell was very strong. Sampled a piece and it indeed tasted much better then it did 2 days before. Maybe a spell in the fridge with a reheat would have done it some good? At any rate, meatloaf is a pretty cheap meal, compared to a whole brisket, so it isn't as bad to mess a couple up. It sounds like the pan and higher heat will solve your problems.

 

[allen]

You learn from your mistakes, I know I have, I found that I don't need alot of wood to make it taste smoked, I made or smoked Buck Board Bacon Last week and used just a cup of chips for the whole day and it came out great, I have smoked 1lb chubs of hamburger the same way and it turned out fine