Unleash new levels of flavor and put your meatloaf on the grill
Meatloaf is arguably one of the most classic American dishes and belongs alongside foods like burgers, fried chicken, and apple pie. It’s easy to make: mash some ground beef with eggs, breadcrumbs and spices, then bake it. It’s an entry we’ve all covered before. However, although it’s an undisputed classic, the same old meatloaf flavor can get a little stale. Granted, there are ways around this, like changing your meatloaf toppings to something other than plain old ketchup, but a baked meatloaf will still be a baked meatloaf.
What if there were other ways to cook your meatloaf that could rocket its flavor? As it turns out, there is. Smoking meatloaf is always an option (and a good one), but it goes further than that. You can also grill it – all it takes is a little more effort and knowledge of how to use the classic two-zone grilling method.
Read more: The 13 Best BBQ Steaks
The two zone method allows you to get gentle and even cooking
The binary zone method may seem complicated, but it is very simple. Use one side of the grill as you normally would, with direct high heat, while leaving the other side relatively “cool,” allowing it to act as an indirect heating source closer to the oven. This means you can use direct heat for external searing without losing the ability to cook a thicker piece of meat (say, meatloaf) all the way through, ensuring you don’t end up with something resembling a Pittsburgh-style steak.
This isn’t the only time this cooking method helps you get perfect cooking of meat; It is also useful for cooking a tri-tip steak, for example. Use the drip pan under the hot side to prevent unwanted results, such as drips of meat fat causing things to catch on fire. Finally, you can (and should) use wood chips in the fire to impart those wonderful smoky flavors to your meatloaf. Hickory is a great choice because of how well it blends with beef.
When grilling meatloaf, timing will vary
From there, you’ll start the meatloaf on the hot side of the grill. Broil for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side to get a nice, even outer bark like you want on any roast. Not only does this taste great; It also gives a great texture to the meatloaf and makes it easier to stir and flip. This is important since the next part involves moving it to the cooler side to allow it to cook the rest of the way.
Unlike the hot side, there’s no soft time you can expect here; The thickness of the meat cylinder will determine how long the meatloaf takes to cook. You will have to continue measuring the temperature of the meat until it reaches 160°F internally. Then let it rest for a few minutes to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the loaf.
If you follow these simple steps, you’ll add a whole new dimension to your meatloaf game. Sure, it takes a little more work, but the result is worth it.
Read the original article on Daily Mail.
