Punch holes in that pan!

[veryolddog]

Hello Everyone,

I was asked to post this as a tip for folks who may want to cook using an aluminum foil baking pan in their smoker.

My smoking project was a meat loaf made from 3 different meats: ground beef, pork sausage, and ground chicken. Knowing that there would be a high fat content of the meat loaf, we did not want to cook the meat loaf in a pool of its own fats. So what I do is take a nail punch out of my tool chest, and I make about 30 holes in the bottom of the pan in which we pack the meat loaf. This allows all of the fats to drip out of the meat loaf below. I place the meat loaf on the upper or second cooking rack inside of the smoker. On the primary shelf of the smoker, I place another aluminum tin foil baking pan, a little larger than the first one underneath the meat loaf plan. Instead of making a really big mess on the drip area or in my case the heat diffuser of the smoker, all of the oils are collected in the lower aluminum foil pan.

So, if you are going to cook something like a meat loaf or a whole chicken for that matter, this is a way of using the foil pan with holes punched in it to allow the fats to drip out of the pan and prevent the chicken from sitting in its own oil.

Have a great day!

Ed

[smokeasaurus]

Great idea Ed. With the high headroom in the Yoder, I could spatchcock a big turkey and cook it that way as well...heck, could do a briskie and butts also......

[Ka Honu]

I'm not really clear on why you cook the meatloaf in a pan at all.  Why not just rack it on a frogmat over a drip pan like you would a fatty?  If you think you need it "firmer" to stand on its own, you could always wrap it in a bacon weave for support (not to mention the great taste of bacon).

[smokeasaurus]

The turtle is wise. Once you get it formed in  a larger pan than the loaf, you cook toss it the freezer for a spell to make it easier to handle when you put it in the pit. You can even do -2- smaller ones than one large one.

An extra step but you have more areas getting smoke. Tucked away in a pan, ya might as well do it in the oven.

Good observation Turtle.

[veryolddog]

Good points by all.

The reason for the pan is to keep the shape and not allow this monster loaf from spreading out. Like I said, it is four pounds of meat, 1 lb. mozzarella and 1/2 lb. provolone, and 1 lb. of spinach and six eggs, plus onions, celery, peppers, and bread crumbs whatever weight that may add. So, this guy starts out weighing 5 1/2 to 6 lbs. or more. This is just too big to roll and shape. And that would be a lot of bacon not that we wouldn't mind bacon.

That's our rationale. The pan is an easy way to keep things together instead of spreading out. As a matter of fact, the pan helped prevent the 1 and 1/2 lbs. of cheese inside from leaking out and kept it on the side of the pan.

Good thoughts.

[Pappymn]

Good points by all.

The reason for the pan is to keep the shape and not allow this monster loaf from spreading out. Like I said, it is four pounds of meat, 1 lb. mozzarella and 1/2 lb. provolone, and 1 lb. of spinach and six eggs, plus onions, celery, peppers, and bread crumbs whatever weight that may add. So, this guy starts out weighing 5 1/2 to 6 lbs. or more. This is just too big to roll and shape. And that would be a lot of bacon not that we wouldn't mind bacon.

That's our rationale. The pan is an easy way to keep things together instead of spreading out. As a matter of fact, the pan helped prevent the 1 and 1/2 lbs. of cheese inside from leaking out and kept it on the side of the pan.

Good thoughts.

My loafs are like half that size. So I think you make a good point.....especially with all that cheese. Cheese likes to spread.

[sliding_billy]

Cheese... Yum!

[fishingbouchman]

Cheese... Yum!

 

[smokeasaurus]

Good points by all.

The reason for the pan is to keep the shape and not allow this monster loaf from spreading out. Like I said, it is four pounds of meat, 1 lb. mozzarella and 1/2 lb. provolone, and 1 lb. of spinach and six eggs, plus onions, celery, peppers, and bread crumbs whatever weight that may add. So, this guy starts out weighing 5 1/2 to 6 lbs. or more. This is just too big to roll and shape. And that would be a lot of bacon not that we wouldn't mind bacon.

That's our rationale. The pan is an easy way to keep things together instead of spreading out. As a matter of fact, the pan helped prevent the 1 and 1/2 lbs. of cheese inside from leaking out and kept it on the side of the pan.

Good thoughts.

My loafs are like half that size. So I think you make a good point.....especially with all that cheese. Cheese likes to spread.

"It is OK to have small loafs Pappy. You probably didn't drink enough milk growing up. Everybody here still loves ya"

[Pappymn]

Good points by all.

The reason for the pan is to keep the shape and not allow this monster loaf from spreading out. Like I said, it is four pounds of meat, 1 lb. mozzarella and 1/2 lb. provolone, and 1 lb. of spinach and six eggs, plus onions, celery, peppers, and bread crumbs whatever weight that may add. So, this guy starts out weighing 5 1/2 to 6 lbs. or more. This is just too big to roll and shape. And that would be a lot of bacon not that we wouldn't mind bacon.

That's our rationale. The pan is an easy way to keep things together instead of spreading out. As a matter of fact, the pan helped prevent the 1 and 1/2 lbs. of cheese inside from leaking out and kept it on the side of the pan.

Good thoughts.

My loafs are like half that size. So I think you make a good point.....especially with all that cheese. Cheese likes to spread.

"It is OK to have small loafs Pappy. You probably didn't drink enough milk growing up. Everybody here still loves ya"

I grew up under power lines and ate paint chips

[smokeasaurus]

 

[teesquare]

"I grew up under power lines and ate LEAD BASED paint chips "

[TwoPockets]

"I grew up under power lines and ate LEAD BASED paint chips "

That explains so much..... now we know why.

[teesquare]

So far, it has prevented the aliens from reading my thoughts...what thoughts...

[smokeasaurus]

I wonder if Tee and Pappy glow in the dark.

Don't take it personally Ed, we will derail anyones thread.....