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Gourmet Bacon Wrapped Glazed Elk Meatloaf

Glaze:

• ½ cup ketchup or chili sauce
  
• 4 T brown sugar
  
• 4 tsp cider vinegar

Meat Loaf:

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 large eggs
• ½ tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp hot red pepper sauce
• ½ cup whole milk or plain yogurt
• 1 ½ lbs elk (or hamburger - for city folks)
• ½ lb bulk sausage
• 2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers (about 16) or quick oatmeal
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 oz thin-sliced bacon (8-12 slices, depending on loaf shape)

1. For the Glaze: mix all ingredients in small saucepan; heat to boiling; set aside.
2. For the meatloaf: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion, garlic and celery; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and milk or yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion mix. Mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk or yogurt, a couple tablespoons at a time until mix no longer sticks.)
4. Turn meat mixture onto work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9 by 5 inch loaf shape. Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking pan. Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.
5. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool at least 20 minutes. Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until thickened slightly. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze passed separately.