RECIPE: THE SMOKED MEAT LOG
I have seen this recipe done a lot, and wanted to give it a try. It reminds me of a bacon wrapped meat loaf, and was actually pretty tasty. I will definitely do it again. I actually really enjoyed the leftovers as well, as this was one of those dishes that when reheated was still pretty enjoyable.
What you will need:
Your choice of ground meat, but each log holds about a pound. I used venison burger that was ground 50/50 with beef.
Your favorite bacon. I used 1 package of bacon on each log.
Your fillings. I put some of my favorite cheese in one log, and vegetables in the other like diced onion, pepperoncini peppers, etc.
Some parchment paper to layout the bacon roll your meat into a log shape.
Your favorite seasoning for the meat.
STEP 1: Layout a piece of parchment paper that is just larger then the length of the meat log you will be making.
STEP 2: Start to layout your bacon into a basket weave pattern. Meaning weave in each piece so it goes over, then under, then over. See picture below.
STEP 3: Set the bacon aside and rip off two new pieces of parchment paper approximately the same size as the first.
STEP 4: Place the ground meat in between the new two pieces of parchment paper and start to flatten out. Try to keep it about the same width as the bacon weave you set aside. If the meat ends up being too long, its not a big deal. You will just cut it to length.
STEP 5: Once the ground meat is flattened and shaped, remove the top layer of parchment paper and season liberally. Then start to add your fillings. Below I added some hot cheese, but you could add anything you like….onion, green peppers, asparagus, spinach, cream cheese, etc.
STEP 6: Use the parchment paper to now roll the meat up into a log. It takes a little finesse, but the parchment paper is your friend in this step. After you do it once, you get the hang of it and it is pretty easy.
STEP 7: Now place your meat log onto the basket weave you set aside, and repeat the rolling process to wrap the bacon around the meat log. Again, the parchment paper is your friend in this step.
STEP 8: Place in a smoker at 250 F for 2-3 hours, or until the internal temperature is 165 F. Remove from smoker and let rest for a few minutes.
STEP 9: Slice and enjoy! What I really appreciate about this recipe is you can customize several logs to appeal to different tastes. For example, you could put pizza sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese in one for the kids. Add a pulled pork filling and coat with BBQ sauce as another example. Play around with it and see what you like. Have fun with it!
