AUNT DEBBIE’S BBQ MEATLOAF

• 1 pound ground brisket

• 1⁄2 pound ground pork

• 1⁄2 pound ground sirloin

• 1 pound raw bacon slices to line pan

• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs

• 1⁄2 cup chopped onions

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1⁄2 cup ketchup

• 3⁄4 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons A.1. steak sauce

• 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

• 1⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

• Ground black pepper to taste

BARBECUE GLAZE

• 8 ounces tomato sauce

• 4 tablespoons brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon A.1. steak sauce

• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1 cup water

Instructions: Combine all ingredients except bacon into a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly with your hands. Line a meatloaf pan or a 9-by-12-inch casserole dish with raw bacon slices. This adds flavor but also keeps the meatloaf from sticking. Press meat mixture into pan. Crack fresh black pepper in a thin layer over the top. Leave about a half-inch of room at the top and pour on barbecue glaze. Bake in oven or smoker.

For barbecue glaze: In a separate bowl, stir together ingredients and pour over the top of the meatloaf. I get better results when I reduce the mixture to a simmer for about 20 minutes to dissolve the brown sugar and concentrate the flavors.

Oven directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover pan with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for another 30-45 minutes until meatloaf starts to separate from the edges of the pan. Remove, let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Smoker directions: Bring smoker to a steady temperature of 275 degrees. Don't cover the pan; let the smoke do its work. Close the smoker lid. Cook the uncovered meatloaf for 2 hours. It should start to separate from the edges of the pan. You're looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove, let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Makes 8 servings

Mike Sutter/Staff Mike Sutter, dining critic: God bless the Thanksgiving rebels. The ones who wake up on Thursday morning and say to hell with turkey and declare their independence with lasagna or standing rib roast or King Ranch casserole. Or if you're my Aunt Debbie, you crank up the smoker for barbecued meatloaf, an unlikely grind of three meats and a pound of bacon, a meatloaf finished with homemade barbecue sauce to seal in the flavors and fuel the rebellion. If a smoker's not an option, the oven gets the job done. Either way, a leftover meatloaf sandwich beats a turkey sandwich any day. — Mike Sutter