Meat loaf with no pan ???

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frog1369

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Jan 17, 2014
272
34
Wisconsin Tundra
So, I saw a few meat loaf threads lately and it got me thinking I might like me some good meat loaf.  Most of the reading I've done seems to lean toward cooking it in a pan.  Now, I've done several fatties without bacon wrap on q-matz with no issues, anyone have any thoughts on doing a meat loaf the same way?  Am I missing something and the thing is just going to fall apart or something?  
 
I do not use a pan when smoking meatloaf. Your Q-mats will work just fine. I go directly on the grate, unless the mixture is too wet then I'll put it on parchment or a Q-mat.
 
I have not done a meatloaf in the smoker but the meatloafs I do in the oven need pan or I would lose all those juices. I like onions, bell peppers and tomatoes in my meatloaf. If not in a pan IMHO its a fatty. If its in the juices then its a meatloaf.

Everyone has their interpretations in cooking. This is just mine. I like meatloaf with its own au jus and its particularly good over masked potatoes.  
 
I form it in a plastic wrap lined loaf pan overnight in the fridge, then when I am ready to smoke it I flip it over on a small home made "pizza peel", actually I made it just for the meat loaf, remove the plastc wrap and slide it off the peel onto my Bradley rack. Perfect every time.
 
Thanks guys, meat loaf it's going to be.  Nice part is that it's a relatively fast smoke, something I can do in an evening after work.  I haven't got the confidence to leave the smoker run and leave the house, maybe if it was electric .....
 
The last one I did I laid it on a foil tray, not a lot of juices come out of it. I ran my celery,carrot,pepper and onion through the ninja and made it pretty fine before adding it in. It made it very moist and great flavor with 2 eggs Tatonka dust and some oatmeal.
 
The last one I did I laid it on a foil tray, not a lot of juices come out of it. I ran my celery,carrot,pepper and onion through the ninja and made it pretty fine before adding it in. It made it very moist and great flavor with 2 eggs Tatonka dust and some oatmeal.

Great to hear you like the flavor of the Tatonka Dust seasoning!


I have not done a meatloaf in the smoker but the meatloafs I do in the oven need pan or I would lose all those juices. I like onions, bell peppers and tomatoes in my meatloaf. If not in a pan IMHO its a fatty. If its in the juices then its a meatloaf.

Everyone has their interpretations in cooking. This is just mine. I like meatloaf with its own au jus and its particularly good over masked potatoes.  

In my opinion pork sausage makes a fatty and red meat/burger make a meatloaf.

Also if you do try a smoked meatloaf I would suggest trying a grill mat or perforated pan to remove the grease. Oh, and once you smoke a meatloaf I would guess you will be done with oven meatloaf!

Grease in the juices/au jus and floating a meatloaf in a pan is not appetizing for my taste buds anyways.
 
I have never made meatloaf in a pan.  Affectionately known as meatlump at my house.  I cook it on a sheet pan instead.  QMatz should work well.
 
 
I do not use a pan when smoking meatloaf. Your Q-mats will work just fine. I go directly on the grate, unless the mixture is too wet then I'll put it on parchment or a Q-mat.
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We mixed up four pounds of ground beef mixed with Deer pan sausage and added peppers, onions and other goodies.  Then I took a bread pan and filled up with half the mixture.  Not having Q-matz (yet) I took a piece of foil and folded it to the same size as the bread pan.  Flipped it over and the loaf slipped onto the foil.  Did it again for the other loaf.  Put them on my grate and cooked them at 225* till done.  Mose of the fats dripped out and the foil kept it from slipping through the grate.  Worked really well.
 
All my life, we used  THE ... "Meat Loaf Pan". 

An enameled 9" X 13" X 2"  pan that was handed down from my Grandmother, to my Mom, and now to me, after Mom passed.

That pan was used primarily for meat loaf for well over 130+ years.  It was occasionally used for rice, or bread pudding, and scalloped potatoes too.   Otherwise it WAS the meat loaf pan, and I still call it that.  I'm 68, and still a kid, even though Mom, Pop, and ancestors have gone over now.

The one thing I always held against pan meat loaf was the greasy bottom of meat loaf, and too greasy gravy. 

Tasted good, but man did I poop the next day.  LOL 

A few years ago, I started using 1/4" grid pan grates.  (Like cake cooling racks).  Kept the meat loaf from soaking in grease and made my life healthier and easier.  I could remove the meat loaf on racks, drain the grease from pan, de-glaze pan with red wine, mash a small end piece of meat loaf into it, add flour, cook for 5 to 10 minutes while whisking, on med heat to make roux, and then add liquid to make gravy.  Just as tasty, and much more healthy.

Every once in awhile though, I still make a loaf in the "Meat Loaf Pan". to honor and remember, my Moms and Grandmothers dinners.

That's why they call it comfort food.  Right?

Well, that was long winded.  LOL

Anyway,... judging from all of the good reviews here, on the Q-Mats easy clean up,  I would prefer them. 

Those wire racks are a pita to clean afterward, if you don't have a dishwasher. (that's me)

Fat is flavor, but not all that fat is needed.  I just had a good friend 15 years younger than me die suddenly 3 days ago.

He out weighed me by about 200 lbs.  He loved his fat and flavor too.  But forgot moderation.
 
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Just be sure it's chilled so it keeps the form of whatever you chilled it in. Otherwise most mealoaf is kinda mushy raw and could slide thru the grates. I am betting the Q-mat will work just fine.

I have used these before....

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Backyard-Grill-Disposable-Grill-Topper-3pk/19581290


They're cheap, easy and reusable. I've also used cedar planks as well.

I made some meatloaf using Jeff's recipe and it's so dang good, I am making it again this weekend.
 
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