Bacon and Venison Meatloaf after a Third day of Freezer Digging

Still Digging...

This was my third weeknight of freezer digging for dinner. Fortunate for me, I have a very happy and still quite full freezer with venison, pork, and lamb, corn and leeks, bread and other fun things. 

Today I sadly pulled out the last pound of frozen ground venison. After the shed tear for the fine venison to be used, I smiled at my plans, satisfying ones that meant I could get my hands bloody and crush very crunchy things.

Bacon Venison Meatloaf

Yum yum yum.

Ingredients:

Roughly 1 pound ground venison (thawed out if from the freezer)

1 pastured egg

1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed (roughly a cup and a half when crushed by very satisfied hands)

Salt and pepper to taste ( 1 used about 1/2 tsp of each)

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup Worcestershire

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Bacon

Oil (to grease the pan)

Time: 10 minutes prep, 45 minutes bake Temp: 400 degree oven

I love making meatloaf. I use my hands to crush and mash and mix it all together. Together was an especially long day at work with young children and I felt I definitely needed both meat for dinner and a release in making it into dinner. Meatloaf fits the bill both ways.

Essentially, I lightly grease a loaf pan with any kind of oil. In a big glass bowl I put all of the ingredients together, take my hands, and mash. I mash and squirt and mixed all the ingredients until combined fully, then lightly packed it into the loaf pan. 

Don't mash it into the loaf pan, it will be too dense, I just like to place it in with the correct sort of shape. After the meat mix is placed, I drape it in bacon and bake it until it reaches 160 degrees on the interior. Adding the bacon to the top seals in the moisture and it adds a lovely flavor. Bacon fat is such a lovely addition to darn near everything. 

As for venison being dry and gamey, as many people I know complain, I have never had that problem. This meatloaf had a very polite, non gamey flavor and was incredibly moist.