These famous German-influenced sausage grain patties from the Greater Cincinnati area have a fantastic flavor and are an absolutely delicious addition to your breakfast!
You may not have heard of goetta, but it’s famous. At least it is in Cincinnati where it’s practically a staple ingredient. So much so the people of the Greater Cincinnati area consume over 1 million pounds of it ever year. That’s 450 metric tons of goetta!
What’s more, there’s even an annual goetta festival, “Glier’s Goettafest”, that’s held every August near Newport, Kentucky and features goetta served every way imaginable. Music, dancing and other entertainment adds to the occasion of celebrating this beloved food as well as the German-American heritage of the Greater Cincinnati area.
So what is goetta (pronounced “getta”)?
Goetta is a mixture made out of meat, oats, onions and spices that is formed into sausages patties, fried, and eaten for breakfast. The dish is of German origin and the name comes from the German words Grötte or Grütze (depending on the region), which translates to “groats.”
The concept goetta is similar to Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple, Polish kishka and Scottish haggis in that, all these originally being peasant dishes, it was a way to make the most of every part of the animal – to use up the scraps – and to make them stretch to feed the most people possible.
In the case of goetta, it was brought to the Cincinnati area over a century ago by German immigrants from northern Germany. While the version in north Germany would have been made more commonly with buckwheat, barley or rye (the grains most prolifically grown in that area), oats were substituted once the immigrants reached Cincinnati (which is the more common crop in that area). Also, the original, peasant German version would have included more animal organ parts whereas goetta is made with the muscle meat only (when the German immigrants reached the United States they found that pork here was much cheaper).
There are several key spices in this that are essential to achieving the “old world” flavor that many German meats and sausages are associated with: Mace, marjoram, coriander, white pepper, cloves and ginger. Don’t omit or substitute any of these. Include all of them and once you’ve tasted the final result you’ll be very happy you did!
Before we get started…
SOME TIPS FOR HOW TO FRY GOETTA
Yes, this can be a point of frustration. You’ll find forums online of people venting and lamenting and asking for help on how to fry goetta so that it doesn’t completely fall apart in the pan.
I’ll say it right now, it is challenging keeping the patties together when you fry them and that’s just the nature of goetta. Goetta is not a firm sausage patty. It’s a fairly soft and loose patty with a browned and crispy exterior. And reducing the amount of water won’t help, neither will adding things like bread crumbs or eggs. That said, there is a way to keep goetta from falling apart and to ensure the patties keep shape.
Here are 5 essential keys to cooking goetta correctly:
The first key to helping them keep shape is slicing them thickly (at least 1/2 inch thick).
The second key is to avoid using any oil whatsoever. Oil will only make it soggier and fall apart more. Just use a dry non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Again, no oil.
The third key is waiting until the pan is preheated over medium heat and then letting them fry long enough on both sides to firm them up a bit. Fry them for 5-8 minutes on the first side until the top changes color (it’s very light/almost white to begin with and will become a little yellower in color,) and the bottom is fully browned. Then carefully flip it and brown the other side (this side will cook faster).
The fourth key is to avoid pushing or pressing down on the patties.
The fifth key is to leave it alone while it’s frying. Don’t push down on it or try to move it before it’s fully browned on the bottom or it will stick. Also, do not to overcrowd the pan.
Keep in mind, after implementing each of these tips the patties still won’t be “firm”, they’re not supposed to be. Ignore the imperfections in shape or appearance, just shovel the goetta onto your fork and into your mouth and then chew it with complete satisfaction.
Equipped with these 5 Keys To Goetta Success, it’s time to make some goetta!
Let’s get started!
Place the broth, oats, water, salt, bay leaves and marjoram in a large pot. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s soft and the liquid is absorbed.
Add the meat, onions, garlic and spices. Return to a boil then reduce to low, cover and cook for another hour, stirring occasionally. If the liquid has not all been absorbed, remove the lid and continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened.
Pour and press the mixture into 2 (9×5) greased loaf pans and let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, cut into thick slices, at least 1/2 inch (otherwise they’ll fall apart), and fry them in batches in a non-stick pan without any oil. Fry them on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
Goetta (German-American Sausage Grain Patties)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (aka pinhead oats)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 cups water
- 3 teaspoons sea salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Place the broth, oats, water, salt, bay leaves and marjoram in a large pot. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's soft and the liquid is absorbed.
- Add the meat, onions, garlic and spices. Return to a boil then reduce to low, cover and cook for another hour, stirring occasionally. If the liquid has not all been absorbed, remove the lid and continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened.
- Pour and press the mixture into 2 (9x5) greased loaf pans and let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, cut into thick slices, at least 1/2 inch (otherwise they'll fall apart; I cut them inside the pan, if you invert the whole thing it will be very messy), and fry them in batches in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat without any oil. Again, do not use oil, use a dry, non-stick pan. Fry them on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until browned and crispy on the exterior. (See blog post for 5 Keys To Goetta Success.)
- READ THE BLOG POST FOR THE FULL LIST OF TIPS ON HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY FRY GOETTA.
Notes
Nutrition
Sandy says
Thank you love it
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Sandy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
JohnnyB says
What lean % of ground pork/beef should be used? Looks great!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi JohnnyB, I usually use 85% lean to keep it nice and moist but you can use whichever you prefer.
Rebecca Dunham says
I have been looking for the recipe for many, many years. Growing up, my grandpa made this or something similar. He was from Northern Germany and called it ganuck or kanuck (from what I remember) I think this is why I could not find it. He was a butcher and I believe used animal organs like you wrote about. I want to say part of the pig’s head/parts (Does that sound possible?) When he passed away, the recipe went with him, I was the only grandchild who loved it. The recipe was in his head and never written down. So, I’ve been trying to remember what he had mentioned.
As I gather the ingredients,I wanted to know what type of ground beef to use. 80/20, Sirloin, Chuck? Also, with the beef broth, should I use low-sodium or regular, should it be beef stock? Should onion be minched or chopped small? I apologize for all the questions. I just want to get this right. Thank you :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rebecca, I hope this is reminiscent of what you enjoyed growing up with your grandpa. Yes, pig’s head/parts would not have been uncommon – most parts of the animal would have been used to stretch out the meat. Any type of ground beef will work but I usually use and prefer lean. I use regular beef broth and I finely chop the onions. Happy cooking! :)
Peter A says
I followed the ingredients and cooking instructions (close) to a T. We all agree this recipe is awesome. As a Cincinnatian living in California for the past 25 years who loves to cook, I was always hesitant to try to make my own goetta so always froze it and flew it home after the holidays. But we got a meat grinder for Christmas and now I’ll make my own from now on. Great recipe! We ground nicely marbled country ribs for the pork portion. Used store bought bone broth maybe that helped keep the patties firm as a previous commenter noted.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Peter, I’m happy you enjoyed it! And congrats on the new meat grinder!
Timothy i Markwald says
I’ll have to give this a shot – sounds interesting. Although we have always made this, we’ve also always used buckwheat groats, never any other grains. Interesting.
Has anyone else made this purely with buckwheat groats?
James says
I’m a native Cincinnatian and this recipe tastes nothing like any goetta I’ve ever eaten. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just not right for the regional varieties. Mace, Clove, and Croiander are the issue – they add some very pronounced flavors you will not find in most local recipes (especially the Mace and Clove). That said, this recipe seems to have gained some popularity. Like I said – it’s not bad, just not authentic to Cincinnati. With so many variants of goetta in the region, though, that’s ok. Goetta’s base recipe is pin oats (or steel cut oats), ground beef, ground pork, salt, and pepper. From there, the sky is the limit. Some folks replace the pork with breakfast sausage; some go all pork or all beef; and some use select cuts that they cook then ground themselves. Every family has its own preferred mix of spices and herbs, even in varying quantities. These meat loaves were designed to take advantage of less expensive and leftover cuts of meat. The recipes have evolved with the availability of the ingredients.
John says
I first tried my hand at making goetta a few months ago. I started with the recipe on the package of Dottie’s pin-head oatmeal. That was okay, but I wanted to find something closer to the flavor of that popular goetta made just across the river in Covington. I was intrigued by this mix of spices, and was surprised that it yields so close a flavor. If anything, it’s just a tad strong in the cloves to my taste, and I’ll back off a little bit next time. This recipe is great. I’ll be making my own goetta from now on. BTW, a big dollop of applesauce on top is delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, John, thank you very much!
Joy Day says
My grandma was also from Germany!
She made what she called Pin Oat Sausage using steel cut oats. Here is her recipe:
She always used pork shoulder for the meat! She would put the pork in a large pot cover with water and add a whole onion and bay leaves, cook this low and slow till meat falls apart remove meat, onion and bay leaves. Throw bay leaves away!!
Let meat and onion cool, put steel cut oats in the water and cook!
Now grandma used a hand grinder, but I use a food processor and grind the meat and onion up. When oats are pretty close to done put meat back in with the oats and stir! The spices that we use are coriander, allspice, Sage and salt and pepper! The spices are to taste, just remember that they become stronger after they sit.
J. Jones says
Have been making this my entire life. We used to make it in the oven but crock pot is much easier. I’ve always cooked the oats first in homemade beef stock then added the ground meats then cook on low. Put the mixture in a 9×13 and cool. When ready to fry, add a bit of bacon grease to the skillet, don’t overcrowd and fry on medium heat. the grease is a must.
Jacquelyn Hall says
I like the look of your recipe, but any measurements on spices? The pork was cooked first?
Anonymous says
I’ve always cooked in the oven on a cookie sheet, never falls apart.
Anonymous says
One tip you forgot or maybe didnt know when frying. Do NOT over crowd the pan. If they are touching while they cook they will stick together making it even more difficult to flip.