Okay, so I’ve been seeing these “cowboy meatloaf” recipes floating around, and I finally decided to give one a shot. I gotta say, I was intrigued by the whole “cowboy” aspect – sounded hearty and flavorful. Here’s how it went down in my kitchen:
Getting Started
First things first, I gathered my ingredients. I didn’t follow any one recipe to a T, more like a mix-and-match of a few I found. I grabbed:
- Ground beef (about 2 pounds, I think… I kinda eyeballed it)
- An onion, which I chopped up
- Some bell pepper, diced (I used a red one, ’cause it looked pretty)
- A few cloves of garlic, minced. Because, garlic.
- Breadcrumbs (maybe a cup? Again, eyeballing…)
- An egg, to bind things together
- Worcestershire sauce (a good splash)
- Ketchup, both for the loaf and the glaze
- BBQ sauce (I went with a smoky kind)
- Some spices: chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, pepper
- Bacon! Because, cowboy.
Mixing it Up
I preheated my oven to, oh, around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, I got my hands dirty. Literally. I dumped the ground beef into a big bowl, added the chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Then in went the breadcrumbs, the egg, a good splash of Worcestershire sauce, some ketchup, and all those spices. I mixed it all up with my hands, making sure everything was nicely combined. It was kinda messy, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right?
Shaping and Baking
Next, I shaped the mixture into a loaf. I didn’t use a loaf pan, I just free-formed it on a baking sheet lined with foil. I did pat the top down slightly.
Then came time for the glaze. I mixed ketchup and BBQ together. After that, I put this mixed sauce on the top of the meat loaf.
Then, the bacon. I laid strips of bacon across the top of the loaf, kinda weaving them together. It looked pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.
Into the oven it went! I baked it for, I dunno, maybe an hour? An hour and 15 minutes? Until the internal temperature reached 160 Fahrenheit, to be safe. I used a meat thermometer to check – best kitchen gadget ever.
The Result
When it was done, I pulled it out of the oven and let it rest for a bit before slicing. The smell was amazing – smoky, savory, and just… meaty. The bacon was crispy, the glaze was caramelized, and the meatloaf itself was juicy and flavorful.
I served it up with some mashed potatoes and green beans. A complete, satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. My family loved it, and I gotta say, I was pretty proud of myself. It definitely lived up to the “cowboy” name – a hearty, no-nonsense dish that’s perfect for a hungry crowd. Will I make it again? You betcha!
