12 Bones cookbook is smokin’

For lovers of the 12 Bones restaurant in Asheville, N.C., 12 Bones Smokehouse: A Mountain BBQ Cookbook (2015, Voyageur Press) includes signature recipes and techniques for ribs, pulled pork and all the fixin’s.

At 12 Bones, everything is made from scratch, the meats are smoked long and slow over select hardwoods and cornbread is not optional.

Authored by 12 Bones owners Bryan and Angela King, head chef Shane Heavner and food writer Mackensy Lunsford, the book includes more than 60 recipes, ranging from beet salad to smoky collards to sauces, rubs and dessert.

Ribs, pork, bacon, beef and turkey recipes abound, but 12 Bones Smokehouse is also uniquely vegetarian-friendly. From sides that have a symbiotic relationship with meat (potato salad with potatoes that never touch meat but benefit from the smoking process) to completely vegetarian creations (Jalapeño Cheddar Grits), there’s something for everyone.

Recipes include: 12 Bones Chicken Rub, Hogzilla, Brown Sugar Baby Back Ribs, Smoked Shrimp Cakes, 12 Bones Mop Sauce, Pickled Green Tomatoes, Jalapeno Cheese Grits, Corn Pudding, Peanut Butter-Banana Upside-Down Cake and more.

Smokehouse Meatloaf

3 pounds pork or beef, ground

2 eggs

1 poblano pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 teaspoons, or to taste

Garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

This recipe calls for making what you might call a free-form loaf, which lets hot air circulate, creating a nice crust around the whole exterior, rather than just the very top. Though some people think fat equals flavor, we think a solid brown crust is more important for a delicious meat dish. In fact, we make this meatloaf on a baking pan rather than a loaf pan so the fat runs out of the meat, instead of soaking into it. It’s a little bit of a healthier method than most, but it still turns out to be perfectly moist.

This recipe yields a firm meatloaf, which lends itself well to rough handling without falling apart. We don’t recommend you throw it about, but you can easily slice it into 1-inch thick pieces well ahead of mealtime then finish it over an extra-hot grill without it crumbling through the grates. Grilled is how we serve this meatloaf at 12 Bones, and we find that the sear helps the flavor move to the next level. Serve with mashed potatoes, collard greens and barbecue sauce of your choice

Preheat oven to 325°F. Put ground meat in a large mixing bowl. In food processor, purée egg, chopped poblano, onion, garlic and salt. Add mixture to meat, then add grated cheese. Mix together well, using your hands or a rubber spatula. Place meat mixture on greased baking pan, shape it by hand into a loaf. Bake 1 hour or until internal temperature is 165°F.

Note: At 12 Bones, we smoke our meatloaf with heavy smoke at 275°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until internal temperature is 150°F. Then, we cool the meatloaf, cut it into portion and grill slices over high, direct heat to finish.

Serves five with enough leftovers for sandwiches.