Goetta is a meat and grain sausage made from ground meat, steel-cut oats, and spices. It most likely originated in the 19th century with German immigrants who settled near what is now Cincinnati, where the dish remains popular to this day. Goetta began as a way to stretch meat over several meals in order to save money. Though it is possible to eat freshly made goetta as a savory porridge, it's more commonly molded into loaves, refrigerated or frozen, and later thinly sliced and fried. Typical toppings for this dish include apple butter, ketchup, and syrup. Goetta burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, omelets, and hash also are widely available around the Ohio area.
Recipe Servings: 12
+ 3 hours resting
Ingredients
Directions
- Place water, salt, and pepper in a large soup pot and bring to a boil.
- Add oats and stir well. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 1½ hours, stirring as needed to keep from sticking.
- In a mixing bowl, combine beef, sausage, and onion.
- Add meat mixture to oats and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook very gently for 3 hours. Stir occasionally and add more water as needed to keep from sticking.
- Grease two metal loaf pans. Transfer mixture to pans. Cool for 30 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours until very firm.
- Slice into thin slices.
- Heat lard in a heavy pan over medium heat.
- Brown goetta slices one at a time, about 10–15 minutes on each side. Do not overcook.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Home cooks frequently cook goetta in a crockpot or slow cooker rather than on the stovetop. Two pounds of pork shoulder can be substituted for sausage. Up to 4 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of sage or thyme, or 1 teaspoon of savory can be added to the meat mixture. Some cooks brown the meats separately and drain the grease before adding meats to the oats. If sausage is browned, the drippings are usually saved to use in frying the goetta. Goetta can also be fried in butter or vegetable oil.
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