Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf (Paleo Meat Log)

Ingredients:

8oz Ground Beef

4oz Ground Pork Breakfast Sausage or Ground Pork*

6 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon

*If you can't find a breakfast sausage without added junk, use ground pork. To the ground pork, add a pinch each of:

-Dried Sage

-Dried Ground Fennel

-Red Pepper Flakes

Resist the temptation to add salt. If you're using smoked bacon, you should be good to go. 

1. Combine ground meat in a bowl and mix to combine (use your fingers and don't overwork the mixture). 
2. Lay out a piece of aluminum foil (about 18x12") and place a piece of parchment paper on top of that. Lay down the bacon slices, as shown below, overlapping slightly. Form the ground meat into a log, the length of your 4 bacon slices and place on top of the bacon.
3. Wrap the two long pieces over the meat and then wrap the bacon that's underneath around the meat mixture. 
4. Tie with twine and secure (see video here: easy and classic). 
5. Wrap the parchment paper and foil, tightly, around the loaf and transfer to the fridge to set (this step is not totally necessary, but the bacon will bind around the meat more effectively, if done). 
6. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375F and set oven rack to the middle of the oven. 
7. Unwrap loaf and use the foil to line a baking sheet (this will make clean up way easier...trust me) place a baking rack on top of the foil and transfer the loaf to the pan. 
8. Roast for 45 minutes at 375F. After 45 minutes, set the oven to "Broil" and broil until the bacon gets really crispy, about 5-7 minutes depending on your oven. 
9. Remove the loaf from the oven and let rest for 3-5 minutes and remove twine, before slicing (I used a serrated knife). 

This meal can be made a day in advance and left in the fridge, until ready to cook. Super easy. This would also be good with the addition of:

-1/2 Cup Mix of Sauteed Spinach, Mushrooms, and Thyme (just drain off excess liquid, chop everything up and mix in with the ground meat)

-1/2 Cup Mix of Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Artichokes, and Fresh Basil

-1/4 Cup Diced Yams and a Pinch of Cinnamon

Or, serve it as is with a side of roasted veggies (can be done during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking) or sliced on top of a salad. 

This meal was really just a matter of using what I had in the fridge. I keep my bacon in the freezer (for easy slicing), as it only takes a few minutes to thaw if I want to use it for wrapping a piece of meat. You can get really creative with this "meat loaf" or keep it really simple, like I did here. 

All of my meat comes from Rehoboth Ranch, a local farm that raises pastured animals. They provide two options for bacon, uncured (just sliced pork belly) or smoked (they rub the pork belly with a little brown sugar, before smoking, but that's it).