Meat loaf with bacon

[cansmoke]

Made up meatloaf usual way except topped with thick sliced bacon. The bacon did not truly cook although the flavour did get into the meat loaf. Some of top layer of the meat loaf has what looks like uncooked ground meat. I smoked in my MES at 255F for 3 hours like I normally do. Weather not windy and around freezing mark which is not an issue.

What should I have done differently?

 

[DougE]

I grind the bacon and mix it in with the ground beef when I do bacon meatloaf. For your situation, a shot under the broiler to crisp the bacon up would have been what I would have done.

 

[Nodak21]

Use an instant read thermometer and pull the meatloaf at 155 degrees. I would never recommend just cooking by time and unverified smoker temp.

 

[DougE]

Finished temps aside, you're not going get thick cut bacon crispy at 255°

 

[DougE]

I will also ad that it's usually the case that the meat directly under the wrap may tend to look that way, but if your IT is where it should be, the outside will be fully cooked.

 

[kilo charlie]

Made up meatloaf usual way except topped with thick sliced bacon. The bacon did not truly cook although the flavour did get into the meat loaf. Some of top layer of the meat loaf has what looks like uncooked ground meat. I smoked in my MES at 255F for 3 hours like I normally do. Weather not windy and around freezing mark which is not an issue.

What should I have done differently?

You could try a thinner cut bacon. You can also crank the heat at the end or put it under the broiler to crisp up the bacon.

Why do you think it looks "like under cooked ground meat"? Was it because of the color? Was it the bacon fat on top of the meat?

 

[JckDanls 07]

I urge you to take IT (internal temp) up to 165` when using any ground meat ...

 

[TNJAKE]

I urge you to take IT (internal temp) up to 165` when using any ground meat ...

I do the same. Atleast 160

 

[DougE]

So I guess raw ground round on crackers is out? Brokenhandle

 

[Brokenhandle]

So I guess raw ground round on crackers is out? Brokenhandle

Not for me! But then again I will only buy it from our local small town grocer. Been doing it for years...but they also keep the grinder in the cooler. I feel very safe with their food safety. Some may disagree but over the years I bet they have sold thousands of pounds of it.
Dang...think I put some in the freezer. Might could make a nice snack tomorrow !

Ryan

 

[TNJAKE]

Not for me! But then again I will only buy it from our local small town grocer. Been doing it for years...but they also keep the grinder in the cooler. I feel very safe with their food safety. Some may disagree but over the years I bet they have sold thousands of pounds of it.
Dang...think I put some in the freezer. Might could make a nice snack tomorrow !

Ryan

 

[Brokenhandle]

That's probably what I'd do on collard greens!

Ryan

 

[DougE]

I have fond memories of my dad eating raw ground beef on bread topped with diced onion at Oktoberfest, but I never had any. Mom wouldn't let us kids near the stuff lol.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

If I grind it myself, I'll eat it very rare to raw. Think beef tartare. No way I'd eat ground beef from anywhere else that isn't cooked to at least 160℉.

Back to the meatloaf, as DougE suggested, under the broiler for a few...

 

[DRKsmoking]

Like the others have said cook at higher temp, Than under the broiler if the bacon needs that extra crisp.
And use a temp pen or probe to tell when finished.

Now to the raw burger guys here Brokenhandle and others, lol
I worked for a few different folks from other country's , One Lebanese fella would grab a spoonful of the raw Donair meat while I was making the loafs and eat it that way.
I was quite grossed out. Than I found out that in Lebanon " Kibbeh " is a traditional dish and it is totally raw ground meat of a meat and bulgur and onion ,mixed for festive times.

I still myself would not try it. But it smelt good,

David

 

[tbern]

thinner bacon, add it on the meatloaf after just giving it a VERY short spin in the microwave just to get it cooking alittle, then broiler at the end for final crisping

 

[cansmoke]

Thanks all! Several things to try next time I do meatloaf. I'm leaning towards chopping up bacon and mixing it in.