Smoked Venison Meatloaf Recipe

Yes, Meatloaf Can Actually Be Delicious and Exciting

In keeping with our theme of ‘low and slow recipes’, let’s take a look at a dish that can be served any time of the year with relatively minimal prep work.

While venison burger may not be considered a tough cut of meat, I am a firm believer that if you can grill it or bake it, it will be better smoked. Pizza, tacos, shrimp, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, not to mention classics like pork butt or ribs. Smoking the meal correctly will always be better. Don’t blame me, I don’t make the rules. It’s just science.

Just as a setup for all you smoking snobs out there, be warned: I have an Acorn. It’s the Home Depot knockoff ceramic version of the Big Green Egg. It does not have all the bells and whistles (or price tag) of a BGE. I’m cool with that. I can increase, decrease and maintain temperature like no one’s business. You know what I’ve never once heard when serving a meal? Man, this would have been better on the Egg.

Now that I’ve put away my soap box, you can use any type of smoker for this recipe. I am smoking with a hardwood blend lump charcoal that I picked up on sale at the hardware store. Fancy stuff. Fancier still, the wood chips I use are a maple blend from maple tree logs I cut over a tarp, then collected all of the maple sawdust and let it dry for a year. I have enough wood chips to last a few years from that one tree alone, plus I have some cherry and apple wood chips collected the same way. Just call me the Bougie Hunter.

Cook time – 2 hours (prep time 30 minutes)

Ingredients:

·       2 pounds of venison burger (I mix ground chuck in to create a 90/10 ratio at my wife’s request)

·       2 cups of seasoned breadcrumbs (I season mine with Italian seasoning if unseasoned)

·       ½ cup whole milk

·       2 large eggs, beaten

·       1 cup diced onion

·       2 tablespoons minced garlic

·       1 cup of preferred barbecue sauce or ketchup

·       Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat your smoker to 250 degrees.

1.     Sauté the diced onions until translucent

2.     In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, milk and beaten eggs

3.     Stir in the onion, garlic, salt and pepper

4.     Stir in half of your BBQ Sauce or ketchup – save the remainder to brushing

5.     Thoroughly mix all ingredients together – this is important to do prior to adding meat to give an even distribution of flavor

6.     Add in the ground venison and thoroughly combine. I find using my (clean) hands the best method for ensuring everything is well combined

7.     Shape meatloaf on a porous, elevated cooking stand and add a foil pan beneath to catch drippings. Do not place in a meatloaf pan. Do not yet add to smoker.

8.     Add your first round of wood chips to the smoker and quickly place meatloaf onto smoker. The goal is to try to expose the meatloaf to as much smoke as possible.

9.     Once meatloaf reaches 140 degrees, brush on remaining ketchup/BBQ sauce. Add another round of wood chips to the smoker. Again, the goal now is for the sauce to absorb as much of the smoke flavor as possible.

10.  Finish smoking until meatloaf has reach 165 degrees internal temperature.