Grilled Meatloaf

1″ inch slice of Meatloaf with a Hoisin Sauce glaze on a blue plate.

The Best Meatloaf

Most folks agree that you haven’t really had meat loaf until you’ve had it grilled. I originally wrote this recipe using an oven but a grill follows the same basic principles. Set you’re temp, keep the lid down and watch the clock and that’s basically all you have to do. My recipe, however, excludes ketchup. If you’ve got a problem with that, just top it with a Ketchup glaze at the end instead of my Hoisin Sauce and no one’s the wiser. I can promise you this, though, this recipe is tender, moist, flavorful, it will still stay on your fork and it makes the best leftover sandwich’s.

Raw ground beef and pork sausage in separate packages.

Meatloaf not Beef loaf

One of the things I learned, long ago, was to mix sausage with Beef in any recipe with a ton of ingredients and this recipe is no different. I mean, that’s one of the secrets to my Chili recipe and it is phenomenal. There is a 2 to 3 standard ratio that I use being 2 parts sausage to 3 parts beef and you’ll see that reflected in the ingredients. After all, we’re making Grilled Meatloaf, not beef loaf.

If you’ve ever tried my Chili recipe, you might notice that the ingredients are very similar to this recipe, too. I’ve simplified each recipe with the addition of taco seasoning but there are also a few other herbs and spices to fine tune it to the point to where they’re distinguished. Though, some things just shouldn’t change.

Chopped and sauteed onions in a large pan on the stove top.

Raw or Cooked Onions

Technically, once the Grilled Meatloaf is cooked, the onions are cooked as well but they usually go into the meat mix raw. Barf! I don’t know what it is about raw onions, in this recipe, but I can’t stand them cooked that way in meatloaf or on pizza. This is crazy to say because I love onions. In fact I’m a huge fan but, for some reason, I just can’t stomach them in a meatloaf recipe. That’s why I recommend sauteing them first. It’s just a personal preference but I find that there is a much more enjoyable flavor and texture, doing it this way, too but whether you choose to do it this way will be up to you.

Raw Meatloaf, all mixed, shaped and uncooked in a cake pan.
Mixing the Meatloaf Ingredients

There’s really nothing special you have to do to mix the ingredients correctly. Other than the sauteing of the chopped onion, that I’m recommending, all you have to do is mix everything together into one big mush, then shape into a loaf on a baking tray or sheet.

You may find that the meat mix is very wet and you might be tempted to add more bread crumbs but this is folly. In order to maintain moisture, the meat loaf must be like this. A dried out Meatloaf is just as bad as any dried out or over cooked Roasted Turkey!

Grilled and glazed Meatloaf in the roasting pan on the grill.
How to Grill Meatloaf

Grilling Meatloaf really isn’t much different than baking it in the oven. You need to establish a 350° Fahrenheit temp, with the lid down, and cook over indirect heat. The other difference is, just rotating the pan half way through cooking and I demonstrate everything you need to know in the video tutorial.

Because I use a propane grill, it’s easy to focus my heat from 1 out of the 3 burners by turning the front burner on only, then cooking the meatloaf over indirect heat over the other two burners, not lit. The only thing I might recommend, if you’r using gas too, is adding some chips to the lit burner to get the smoke flavor affect going. That’s the only thing I wish I did differently in the video, just to add more smoke flavor. If you’re using charcoal or smoker anyway, you’re already set!

Fully Grilled Meatloaf, cooked and cooling down on a cutting board for slicing.

Grilling Meatloaf Ingredients:

1.5 lbs Hamburger
1 lbs Pork Sausage, breakfast
1 Onion, chopped and sauteed in Olive oil and salted
1 pkg Taco Seasoning, original (2 oz )
1 tbsp Adobo Sauce, from Chipotle Peppers
1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes
1 tbsp Cumin
1 tbsp Mexican Oregano
1 tsp Coriander
1 tbsp Worcestorshire Sauce
1 cup Bread Crumbs
2 Egg
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
5 Cloves Garlic, chopped

Hoisin Sauce for Glaze

Mix all of the ingredients together and shape the meat into a loaf in a cake pan. Grill or bake at 350° Fahrenheit, 45 minutes, add glaze and bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 15 more minutes. If you want to see how I make a Mushroom and Swiss with Leftover Meatloaf, CLICK HERE!

Grille Meatloaf video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet

Grilling Thick Ribeye Steak

Grilled and sliced, Thick Ribeye Steak cooked to medium rare.

The Best Grilled Steak

I don’t care what your favorite cut of beef is. Whether it’s a T-bone, New York Strip or tenderloin, it don’t really matter much. When it comes to grilling steak, the best steaks are cut thick and they’re cooked slow and low to perfection. That’s the secret. I’ve shown you how to cook a Pan Fried Ribeye Steak that will turn out amazing, every time. Now let me show you how to grill a thick Ribeye Steak or any thick steak for that matter, to perfection.

A raw, thick cut Ribeye Steak, wrapped and price tagged from the grocery store.

Steak Prices

I realize that beef prices are currently sky rocketing across the country but it’s summer time and that means grilling season. That’s why I shared and posted my Cold Noodle Spaghetti Salad with you, last week. Now, I’m going to share the easiest way to grill any thick cut steak and I chose one of my favorite cuts; the Ribeye.

I bought this 20 oz Choice grade steak for $16.61, US. Not accounting for the price fluctuation, this same steak would easily cost any where from $25 dollars, all the way up to $50 bucks in most restaurants around the country. It just depends on where you’re dining. So, already I’m saving money just doing it myself.

Grilled and sliced Thick Cut Ribeye Steak.

Grilling to Perfection

Believe it or not, my neighbor gave me a stainless steel Weber grill. I know… sweet, right? And, no, I don’t live in a ritzy neighborhood. I live in a trailer park and my wife’s friend was upgrading to a bigger grill. The point is, it’s a gas grill but you use what ever you’ve got.

I maintain a temperature just barely under 400° Fahrenheit with the lid down. I run all three burners at the same time, on low, and I put my steaks right in the middle. I time them, 10 minutes per side but I rotate every 5 minutes. meaning I turn the steak 90° every 5 minutes. After 10 minutes, I flip the steak, turn the heat to high on one burner, then I reversed sear an additional minute on each side. I take an internal temperature to make sure I reach my desired temp, then remove from the heat.

Grilling Thick Ribeye Steak video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet
Grilling Thick Ribeye Steak Ingredients:

1 20 oz Ribeye Steak or New York Strip
1 tbsp Canola Oil
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Set all grill burners on their lowest setting and follow the instructions in the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how easy it is Grilling Thick Ribeye Steak.

Spicy Philly Cheesesteak

Spicy Philly Cheesesteak sub sandwich.

The Best Philly Cheesesteak

One of the things that I’ve been surprised about getting from some of you is requests for sandwich recipes. I think that a sandwich isn’t that complicated and anyone can do it, basically, with out instruction. When it comes to a Philly Cheesesteak, however, I understand that everyone likes it the way they like it but don’t necessarily know how to replicate or duplicate their favorite sandwich from their local favorite sub shops. But, what I’m about to show you is a bit unconventional and unheard of. I’m going to make a Spicy Philly Cheesesteak that has the qualities of two different sandwich styles that you either love or love one more than the other.

Thinly sliced Premium Roast Beef from my local Deli.

What kind of Beef to use

First thing is simple and everyone can get from their local deli with out paying a grip for it and it’s just Premium Roast Beef. It’s roughly around $6 dollars per lbs. and I’ve purchased it, on sale, for $3.98 before. Most Cheesesteaks are made with Ribeye steak so, you can’t go wrong with this lunch meat, thinly sliced. The other major player and component to great sub is the roll. I buy Walmart’s 8″ sub rolls because they’re cheap, soft and tasty. Contrary to popular belief, they have an excellent bakery so don’t be afraid to pick up a six pack bag of sub rolls from Walmart.

If you’re ordering your Cheesesteak sandwich “With”, that means with sauteed onions, I recommend adding some diced Jalapeno peppers as well. This will take the sub to a whole new level and give the meat more spice.

El Mexicano Nacho Cheese sauce.

What about the Cheese

Cheese! Usually a steak and cheese sandwich is made with one of three cheeses; American, Provolone or Cheez Whiz cheese. The two famous rivals in Philadelphia, Pat’s and Geno’s, battle this one out between their customers constantly so, it’s more about preference really. Personally, I’m a fan of all three but for this recipe I’m going to recommend Swiss cheese and Nacho Cheese instead.

Swiss cheese, in my opinion, adds more depth to the flavor of the cheesesteak and gives it a little more bite. I’m a big fan of the mushroom and Swiss burgers, not to mention I love French Onion Soup, which is made with Swiss Gruyere cheese, so it only makes sense to use Swiss cheese. The Nacho cheese makes sense to me too because it’s processed cheese with a kick. I did label this sandwich “Spicy” and the Nacho cheese helps achieve that title. I’m only recommending, however, that you use El Mexicano’s brand for canned Nacho Cheese. It’s the best.

On a side note, there are two other steak sandwich’s that I have filmed and posted before, if you care to look at those as another option. Though I really enjoy those other recipes, this is my favorite among the three. Here’s my Steak and Cheese Sandwich and my original Philly Cheesesteak recipes.

Spicy Philly Cheesesteak video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.
Spicy Philly Cheesesteak Ingredients:

1 lbs Premium Roast Beef, thinly sliced deli meat, 1/2 lb per sub
1 bag 8″ Sub Rolls
1 Onion, chopped 1/2 per sub sandwich
1 can Jalapeno, diced
1 can Nacho Cheese, 2 tbsp per sandwich
1 pkg Swiss Cheese, 2 slices per sub
2 tbsp Olive Oil, for frying
Salt and Pepper to taste

Follow the instructions in the Spicy Philly Cheesesteak video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how easy this is to make.