With autumn here and the cooler weather, I was feeling the need for a few good hearty meals. So it was time to try my hand at meatloaf which of course expanded into doing meatballs also since they are so close in the ingredients list.
I started off by putting several sweet onions, garlic, and red peppers in the smoker with some apple chips for about an hour. The garlic got all nice a roasted. It was like eating candy as they popped out of their little sleeves.
About a 1/3 of the onions and garlic and all the peppers went into pot with a couple big cans of San Marzano tomoatoes, fresh parsley, and fresh basil.
The rest of the onions and garlic went into the food processor for the meatloaf and meatballs.
I made two different kinds of meatloaf. One traditional and one spicy.
The spicy one had a mixture of dried peppers that I steeped and put in the food processor to make a puree. There were ancho, chipolte, guajillo, pasilla, and red chili peppers.
I used hickory and cherry chunks for the smoke.
Onions, garlic, and red peppers after roasting.
The two traditional meatloaves. They were about 3+ lbs a piece.
The 3 little spicy ones. About 1 1/2 pounds a piece.
Decided to through in a kielbasa while I was at it. That came out really really good.
Meatballs ready to go in. I made about 80 of them.
The spicy meatloaves all done and resting.
Traditional rested and cut. It was amazing how moist they stayed.
Kielbasa and one of the spicy loaves disappearing very quickly.
Meatballs all done. Going into the sauce next for about a good hour.
We have been feasting on meatball sandwiches and meatloaf all week and that great smoke smell and flavor never get old when I reheat things.
I started off by putting several sweet onions, garlic, and red peppers in the smoker with some apple chips for about an hour. The garlic got all nice a roasted. It was like eating candy as they popped out of their little sleeves.
About a 1/3 of the onions and garlic and all the peppers went into pot with a couple big cans of San Marzano tomoatoes, fresh parsley, and fresh basil.
The rest of the onions and garlic went into the food processor for the meatloaf and meatballs.
I made two different kinds of meatloaf. One traditional and one spicy.
The spicy one had a mixture of dried peppers that I steeped and put in the food processor to make a puree. There were ancho, chipolte, guajillo, pasilla, and red chili peppers.
I used hickory and cherry chunks for the smoke.
Onions, garlic, and red peppers after roasting.
The two traditional meatloaves. They were about 3+ lbs a piece.
The 3 little spicy ones. About 1 1/2 pounds a piece.
Decided to through in a kielbasa while I was at it. That came out really really good.
Meatballs ready to go in. I made about 80 of them.
The spicy meatloaves all done and resting.
Traditional rested and cut. It was amazing how moist they stayed.
Kielbasa and one of the spicy loaves disappearing very quickly.
Meatballs all done. Going into the sauce next for about a good hour.
We have been feasting on meatball sandwiches and meatloaf all week and that great smoke smell and flavor never get old when I reheat things.
