Outdoor DO Meatloaf

[Keltin]

Decided to use the DO to make a meatloaf last night, and it turned out wonderfully. Up until now, I’ve been “grilling” my meatloaf by cooking it with indirect heat on the grill along with some wood smoke. That makes a great meatloaf and it’s fun to do.

However, the meatloaf in the DO is slightly better! In fact, DW informed me last night that from now on, this is how I have to make my meatloaf. It’s fun and easy to do this in the DO, but I’m beginning to wonder if I may have shot myself in the foot here? My grill is going to get jealous!

Outdoor Dutch Oven Meatloaf

Ingredients:

Loaf
3.5 to 4 lbs ground beef
1 pack Onion Mushroom Soup mix
4 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp A1 Steak Sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 cup bread crumbs

Glaze
1/2 cup Ketchup
1 Tbsp A1 Steak Sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Dutch Oven: 10”
Coals: 24 = 10 on bottom, 14 on top
Cook Time: 2 hours

Preparation:
Mix the Glaze ingredients together in a small mixing bowl until the brown sugar has completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix all of the Loaf ingredients until well incorporated, and then shape into a free standing ROUND loaf. The loaf should be about 4 to 4.5 inches tall, and around 9 inches in diameter. It needs to be somewhat round to fit into the bottom of the DO. Next, place a trivet in the bottom of the DO. Place the meatloaf on the trivet and cover the DO. The meatloaf should not be touching the sides of the DO. If it is, reshape to decrease the diameter (thus making the meatloaf a bit taller).

When the coals are ready, place 10 under the DO in a circular pattern and 14 on top in a ring around the lid. Let this cook undisturbed for 1 hour. After 1 hour, replenish the coal supply and allow to cook another 30 minutes. At this time apply the glaze to the top of the meatloaf and allow it to cook for another 30 – 35 minutes. At that time, check the internal temp which should be 170+. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2 pieces and serve.

This is great with mashed potatoes and gravy and green peas. Left over meatloaf makes wonderful sandwiches!

Notes:
This meatloaf is cooked “dry”. That is, no liquid is added to the bottom of the DO. You are basically using the DO as an “oven” in this case. Obviously, there will be some drippings that fall to the bottom of the DO. The bottom heat will cause these dripping to char and become a stuck-on mess in the bottom of the DO. But don’t fret!

After cooking, add some water to the DO so that it is abut 1/4 or so full and then place the DO over some heat. Allow the water to come to a boil while you enjoy your meal. Once the water has boiled for a few minutes, use a plastic spatula or wooden spatula to easily scrape up the charred bits from the bottom. Boiling water in the DO makes this clean-up a very simple matter!