Smoked Meatloaf with Caramelized Onion Gravy

Directions

1. Light a chimney of lump charcoal and dump in the back half of the fire box inside your Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker. Add a couple of splits of hickory wood and bring the temperature up to 400ºF.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the panko and half and half. Let the panko sit and absorb the liquid from the half and half.

3. Place your mushrooms in a food processor and blitz until broken down into fine pieces. Add to the bowl with the soaking panko.

4. In the food processor, combine your onion, bell pepper, celery, carrot, garlic, W Sauce, Cattleman’s Grill Butcher House Brine, smoked paprika and thyme. Process until a paste is formed.

5. Melt the butter in a Lodge 10” Steel Skillet. Add the paste. Cook until most liquid is gone and mixture begins to darken in color and caramelize. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool.

6. Add the cooled veggies to the bowl with the panko and mushrooms. Add eggs and cheese curds. Mix well by hand just until well combined. Pinch off a little and cook in a skillet to taste for seasoning.

7. Transfer to a loaf pan. Cover the pan with foil and pinch the edges, leaving plenty of extra foil around the pan. Invert the whole thing onto a sheet pan. Loosen the edges of the foil from the pan. Cook until the loaf is just set, about 30 minutes, spinning halfway through. Lift the loaf pan off of the meatloaf and remove the pan completely.

8. Stabilize the smoker temperature around 300ºF and continue smoking until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 140ºF, about 30 minutes more.

9. Warm the Hoff Smoken Ghost Ketchup and W Sauce in a small sauce pot. Brush onto the meatloaf. Cook until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 155ºF, about 15 minutes more (approx. 1 hour 15 minute total cook time). Remove from the smoker to rest.

10. While the meatloaf is smoking, make the caramelized onion gravy. Melt the butter in a Finex 12” Cast Iron Skillet. Add the onions and Yoder Smokers Beef Rub. Cook over low to medium-low heat until all liquid is gone and onions are caramel brown in color, about 20-30 minutes. Add garlic, flour and Kozlik’s Dijon. Cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute. Slowly add the beef stock, stirring. Bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened. Stir in the half and half. Cover with a lid to hold warm.

11. Slice meatloaf into 8 equal slabs. Serve with mashed potatoes, smothered in caramelized onion gravy.