Chuck Wagon Meatloaf Recipes

MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Combine eggs, milk, bread crumbs, onion, salt, sage, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Crumble ground beef over mixture and stir well to combine. Shape into a round loaf; place in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F (71 degrees C), 5 to 6 hours.
• Whisk ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl; spoon sauce over meat loaf. Return to slow cooker and cook on Low until heated through, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

CHEF JOHN'S MEATBALL-INSPIRED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Heat olive oil and butter together in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion with a pinch of salt in hot oil and butter until onion is golden brown and soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and cool onion mixture to room temperature.
• Place bread crumbs in a large bowl. Add milk and stir with a fork until combined. Let sit until all of the milk is absorbed into the breadcrumbs, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Combine ground chuck, cooled onion mixture, parsley, Parmesan cheese, eggs, 2 teaspoons salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Grab a handful of breadcrumbs and squeeze very gently to remove excess milk. Repeat with remaining breadcrumbs, transfer breadcrumbs to ground chuck mixture, and discard excess milk. Stir ground chuck mixture until evenly combined.
• Turn chuck mixture out into prepared baking dish, and shape meat into a 3x4x10-inch meatloaf. Pour tomato sauce over the loaf and into the bottom of the dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

GROUND CHUCK MEATLOAF WITH SAGE

Steps:

• Mix meats together, add eggs, salt, pepper and sage, mix well.
• Add celery,onion and mushroom and mix well.
• Shape into a high loaf and bake on a rack with water below.
• Bake at 350°F for about 2 to 3 hours.

CHUCK WAGON BRISKET

Steps:

• Set up grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (no direct heat source under brisket).
• Rinse brisket with cold water and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper and place in foil baking pan. Sprinkle with meatloaf seasoning and pour over beer. Add enough apple cider to cover brisket halfway. Top with sliced onions and cover with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Place pan on hot grill over a drip pan. Cover grill and cook 2 1/2 hours. If using charcoal, add 10 briquettes to each pile of coals every hour. Remove brisket from braising liquid and place directly on grill over the drip pan. Combine 2 cups of braising liquid with BBQ sauce. Mop brisket thoroughly with sauce. Add 1/2 cup of wood chips to each pile of coals. Cover grill. Turn and mop brisket every 20 minutes for 1 hour.
• Transfer brisket to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Thinly slice against grain and serve with mop sauce on the side.
• INDOOR: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Follow directions for preparing brisket. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove brisket from braising liquid and place on foil lined baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Mop brisket with BBQ sauce return to oven. Turn and mop brisket with sauce 2 more times every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

BACON-WRAPPED MEATLOAF (WOLFGANG PUCK)

Steps:

• In large skillet over medium heat heat olive oil and saute onions until translucent (about 8 minutes).
• Add mushrooms and garlic and cook (medium high heat) 3-5 minutes.
• Stir in cream, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and let cool.
• Mix beef, pork and veal; stir in egg and mix well. Add cream mixture and combine well. It will look a bit too liquid, but it is just fine.
• Position 9" x 5" x 2 1/2" loaf pan with short side facing you. Line bottom and sides of pan with bacon, placing them parallel to the short end, slightly overlaping each other (their ends will hang over the edge).
• Put meat mixture in pan and smooth top. Fold bacon striips over the meat, enclosing it completely.
• Place loaf pan in the center of a roasting pan. Fill roasting pan half way up with boiling water. Cover both pans with aluminum paper.
• Carefully place pans in middle shelf of hot oven (400 F) and bake 1 hour. Remove foil and bake until instant thermometer inserted in center of meatloaf registers 165 F (about 30 minutes more). (at this stage I unmold the meatloaf and bake it uncovered, because I like crispy bacon.).
• Remove pan of meatloaf from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Pour juices from pan into sauceboat.
• Cut loaf into 8 slices, taking care to cut bacon completely. Drizzle with pan juices.