German Goetta Recipe

The Goetta is almost similar to the other German dish of scrapple, which was also introduced by the immigrants to stretch the meat for a few more servings. However, the major difference between scrapple and goetta is that the former uses cornmeal or rice flour, while the latter uses pinhead oats or steel-cut oats.

Oats and other ingredients were used to make this breakfast sausage so that people could use a minimum quantity of meat to feed a large number of people. In Germany, this goetta is traditionally prepared with vegetables and authentic spices like rosemary and thyme.

Currently, the goetta comes with certain USDA restrictions. To be known as the goetta, this dish should contain less than 50% meat only.

Thanks to its rich and filling flavors, the Goetta makes for an excellent breakfast dish. The popularity of this dish has spread to almost all parts of the world today, though it has its origins in Germany. Today in the Metro Cincinnati area, the goetta is so popular that the residents of this region consume close to 1 million Goettas in a single year.

Glier’s Goettafest

The regions of Kentucky, Newport, and the nearby areas conduct the Glier’s Goettafest every year in August to celebrate this dish and appreciate the German heritage and culture. The festival is conducted on the Ohio River waterfront.

The greater Cincinnati area is known for its dominant German culture; therefore, it is only natural that the region appreciates this dish like never before during the festival. Music, food and lots of entertainment attract visitors during this time of the year. Currently, Glier’ Goetta is the world’s largest-selling Goettas today.

An interesting point to note is that though the goetta is considered a German breakfast sausage, it is not a breakfast dish that is commonly eaten in Germany. People eat this during other times of the day as well.

To make this dish more filling than ever, some people also eat Goettas with scrambled eggs as well.  Regardless of the way it is eaten, Goettas burst with flavors that remind us of the rich German heritage that is still popular across the world today.

Homemade German Goetta Easy Recipe

Ingredients

• Pinhead oats or steel-cut oats – 2.5 cups
• Beef Broth – 4 cups
• Water – 4 cups
• Sea salt – 3 tablespoons
• Bay Leaves – 3
• Dried marjoram – 1.5 teaspoons
• Ground pork – 1 pound
• Ground beef – 1 pound
• Yellow Onion – 1 large (chop it finely)
• Garlic cloves minced – 5
• Ground Ginger – 1 teaspoon
• Ground Mace – 1 teaspoon
• Freshly ground white pepper, black pepper, and ground coriander – ½ teaspoon each
• Ground cloves – ¼ teaspoon

Instructions

• Use a large pot to mix the oats, beef broth, water, salt, bay leaves, and dried marjoram. Keep the pot on medium-high flame and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame to low. Let the pot be on low flame for about 90 minutes. This gives enough time for the oats to become soft and for the contents to absorb all the liquid.
• In the thick mixture, you should now add the beef, pork, and all other spices. Keep the flame on high so that the mixture boils quickly. Once it starts to boil, reduce the flame to low, and let the contents cook on low flame for an hour. Ensure that you stir the contents occasionally so that they don’t stick to the sides or bottom of the pot. You can keep the pot closed while cooking if the liquid has been absorbed in the first stage. If not, you should leave the pot open. After an hour, you will notice that the mixture has turned thick.
• At this stage, switch off the flame. Then, pour the mixture into a couple of grease cans (having a dimension of 9 x5) and allow it to cool down completely. Once it has cooled down, cover the grease cans with plastic wrap and let them settle in the refrigerator throughout the night.
• In the morning, you can take the mixture out and cut them into thick slices of at least ½ inch thickness so that they don’t break apart. Fry these slices on a non-stick pan, on a medium-high flame, without adding any oil. Each side would need about 4 to 5 minutes to get cooked. Once they have turned golden brown, you can switch off the flame.
• Serve immediately to enjoy the fresh flavors of this dish.

Some points to note

• You can also keep the mixture wrapped in nicely-sealed plastic bags in the freezer for up to 2 to 3 months. All you need to do is thaw it well before slicing it and frying it on the non-stick pan. This can save you a lot of time.
• It is important not to use any oil while frying the slices of Goetta because the oil will cause the dish to become soggy and break apart.
• While frying the patties, it is important to cook each side for about 5 to 8 minutes to cook the contents inside well. When the patties are getting fried, you should not press them hard or flip them over before they cook well. This will make the bottom sides of the slices stick to the pan and make the entire dish messy.
• If you don’t have the time to chill the goetta base in the refrigerator throughout the night, you can also chill them for about 2 to 3 hours to make the base strong and firm.
• To get the perfect taste of goetta, you should preheat the non-stick pan to a temperature of about 300 degrees F.