Chef Tom shows how to make the Tex-Mex Meatloaf Fatty using a Kamado Joe! This fusion of classic comfort food and Tex-Mex flavors is sure to make your taste buds happy. Enjoy the perfect combination of rich sausage flavors and Mexican spices.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Building the enchilada sauce from toasted whole chiles: Toasting dried pasilla and chipotle chiles before rehydrating them in beef broth develops a deeper, smokier base flavor than starting from a canned or pre-made sauce.
- Grilling and charring the corn and peppers before mixing them in: Cooking the corn and chiles over direct fire first builds smoky char flavor into the meatloaf mix itself, instead of adding raw or plain-cooked vegetables.
- Shaping the meat like a sausage "fatty": Rolling the seasoned ground beef into a tight cylinder in plastic wrap, then chilling it before unwrapping, gives the meatloaf a dense, sliceable log shape instead of a loose, crumbly loaf.
- Topping with sauce and cheese only at the end: Adding the enchilada sauce, cheeses, and jalapeños after the meatloaf is nearly done cooking melts everything into a glossy top layer without the sauce drying out over the full cook time.
Tex-Mex Meatloaf Fatty
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 37 minutes
Calories
368
Chef Tom fires up the Kamado Joe for a Tex-Mex Meatloaf Fatty! Part sausage, part Tex-Mex, ALL comfort food!
Ingredients
-
2 lb Creekstone Farms Brisket Blend Ground Beef
- 3/4 cup enchilada sauce (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup tortilla chips, finely crushed
- 1/2 cup green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup grilled corn on the cob kernels (1 ear of corn)
- 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed
- 2 fire roasted green chiles (anaheim, hatch or poblano), diced
- 1 tbsp garlic, finely grated
-
3 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
- 3/4 cup enchilada sauce (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup chihuahua cheese
- 1/2 cup sharp cheddar
- 1 jalapeno, sliced thin
- 2 dried pasilla chiles
- 1 dried chipotle Chile
- 2 cups beef broth (low sodium)
- 1/4 each medium white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled
-
2 tsp Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
- Pinch ground allspice
- 1 tbsp lard
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour
-
Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt, to taste
For the meatloaf:
For topping:
For the enchilada sauce:
Directions
- To make the enchilada sauce, warm a Lodge 10” Steel Skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the pasilla and chipotle chiles on each side until aromatic, about 30 seconds each. Add the beef broth to the skillet. Cover with a lid. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let the chiles soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chiles to the blender. Strain the beef stock. Discard any seeds. Add beef stock to the blender. Add the onions, garlic, Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano and allspice. Blend until smooth.
- Melt the lard in the skillet, whisk in the flour and cook, whisking continually until very lightly browned and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Transfer the sauce to a storage container and set aside.
- Build a hot bed of charcoal in your Kamado Joe Classic III. Setup for direct grilling. Leave the airflow wide open for maximum heat.
- Grill the corn until lightly charred and softened. Grill the peppers until blackened on all sides and skin is released from the flesh. Place the peppers in a bag or container to steam for about 10 minutes. While waiting for the peppers to steam, slice corn kernels off of the cob. Set aside. Remove peppers from the bag. Remove the skins and seeds and discard. Dice the flesh of the pepper. Set aside.
- Set up grill the grill for indirect grilling (deflector shields or SloRoller installed). Close down the airflow to stabilize the grill temperature at 350ºF.
- Combine all ingredients for the meatloaf in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix over medium high speed with paddle attachment until the mixture becomes tacky and holds together like a sausage, about 60 seconds.
- Place the meatloaf/fatty mixture on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Roll up into the shape of a sausage chub/fatty. Roll tightly in the plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Lay out a FrogMat. Cut the ends of the plastic wrap and unroll the plastic, placing the meatloaf chub on the FrogMat. Roll tight. Tie with twine.
- Cook over indirect heat to an internal temperature of 155ºF, about 1 hour.
- Top with enchilada sauce, cheeses and jalapeños. Close dome lid. Cook until cheese is melted.
- Cool slightly then slice to serve with your favorite taco toppings (lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, etc.)
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why toast the dried chiles before making the enchilada sauce?
Toasting the pasilla and chipotle chiles briefly before rehydrating them in beef broth develops a deeper, smokier flavor base than skipping straight to soaking them.
Why grill and char the corn and peppers before adding them to the meatloaf mix?
Cooking them over direct fire first builds smoky char flavor directly into the meatloaf, instead of mixing in raw or plain-cooked vegetables that wouldn't carry the same grilled character.
Why shape the meatloaf like a sausage "fatty" instead of using a traditional loaf pan?
Rolling the mixture into a tight cylinder in plastic wrap and chilling it before cooking gives the meatloaf a dense, sliceable log shape, rather than a loose, crumbly loaf that would fall apart when sliced.
Why chill the rolled meatloaf before transferring it to the grill?
Chilling firms up the shape so it holds together when you unwrap the plastic and tie it with twine, instead of slumping or losing its cylindrical form during the transfer.
Why add the sauce, cheese, and jalapeños only near the end of the cook instead of at the start?
Topping the meatloaf once it's nearly done melts the cheese and sets the sauce into a glossy top layer without the sauce drying out or burning over the full hour-long cook.
What internal temperature should the meatloaf actually reach?
This recipe pulls it at 155°F, but USDA's minimum safe internal temperature for ground beef is 160°F. Cook to at least 160°F to make sure it's fully safe before slicing and serving.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
2 out of 5 — the enchilada sauce and vegetable prep can be done on the stovetop, but the smoky char on the corn and peppers and the low-and-slow indirect cook are central to this recipe's flavor and hard to replicate indoors.
Recipe Highlights
Toasted-chile sauce base: Builds smoky depth before the sauce is even blended.
Charred corn and peppers: Grilling first brings smoky flavor directly into the meatloaf.
Sausage-style shaping: A tight roll-and-chill gives the meatloaf a dense, sliceable form.
Late-added toppings: Sauce and cheese go on near the end to avoid drying out.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 8.72 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 368
- Carbs
- 16 grams
- Protein
- 42 grams
- Fat
- 14 grams
- Sodium
- 1718 milligrams
