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If you live in the USA or far away from Germany, you know that it is not so easy to find German Leberkaese. But it is so good! Especially with a fresh baked roll. That’s why we found a homemade Leberkaese recipe for you.
German Leberkaese or Fleischkaese is a Southern German Meat specialty that has become famous all over the world. If it contains liver then is called Leberkaese (Leber = liver) and with beef only it is Fleischkäse or meatloaf. In Germany it is a warm snack: One thicker slice of Leberkaese in a roll with mustard, or cold as a sandwich with various bread.
You can also pan-fry it with onions or make a fake Schnitzel, the Leberkäse Schnitzel. The recipe below is a proven recipe. Happy Cooking!
Ingredients German Leberkaese Recipe
600 gr lean beef (use stewing stake, ground twice)
400 gr ground pork (ground it twice )
100 gr bacon finely chopped (without the rind)
1-2 Tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp white ground pepper
2 tbsp corn starch and 2 tbsp marjoram
1 tsp paprika powder (sweet) optional
2 medium sized onions (run through with the meat)
1 slice bread to clean grinder (run through last)
a very little nutmeg, just the tip of a knife
1 tsp Pink salt or Curing salt (see under Tips what to use)
500 ml crushed ice
“Better than I remembered
I have purchased Landjagers from other shops and found them salty and dry. These from Love German Food were moist, tender and full of flavor. Delicious!” — A.E.
Cooking Instructions
The meat should be very cold before you use it and should not get warm at any time during theprocessof making Leberkaese.
– Grind the beef and pork very finely by using a food processor or a meat grinder (grinding plate fine).
– Peel onion and cut it coarsely.
– Mix the beef and pork with the crushed ice until sticky (emulsify).
– Add the onion, spices, cornstarch and mix once again, keep the mixture well chilled.
– Add the bacon at the very end. Make sure the bacon is distributed evenly throughout the mixture. Run the bacon through with the meat as well.
– If you use a grinder, run some bread through the grinder, it will clean it.
– Grease loaf dishes with butter. then place the meat into the dishes andplace in fridge for about an hour.
– Pre-heat oven to 180 C of 350 F.
– Even out the surface and with a knife cut the typical criss cross patter into the surface.
– Bake for about 30-45 minutes, depending on size of your dish; convection oven on 320 F, medium rack.
– When done, leave to rest for five minutes, then slice.
TIPS
You also can use different meat. Instead of pork and beef use lamb, turkey or liver.
Add some fresh finely chopped herbs like parsley or Italian herbs (Thyme, marjoram, oregano).
Curing salt is used to get the nice pink color. Without curing salt the meat color will not be pink, it will be grayish.
CURING SALTS
- Prague Powder
Some people refer to this as “pink curing salt”. There are 2 varieties:
Prague Powder #1 is for all cured meats and sausages except for the dried kinds like hard salami. Itis 6.25 per cent sodium nitrite and 93.75 per cent sodium chloride (table salt).
Prague Powder #2 is used for dried meat and sausage. It has 1 ounce of sodium nitrite and 0.64 ounces of sodium nitrate in a pound of product. The rest of the pound is sodium chloride.
Both Prague Powder #1 and #2 are used in very small quantities, around 1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of meat (follow supplier directions).
- Morton Tender Quick
This is a curing salt made by the Morton Salt Company. It contains both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. It has a lower nitrite/nitrate concentration (0.5 percent of each), and much more salt than the other cures.
Tender Quick is very good to use as a rub or in a brine (for making corned beef etc.) but has limited use in sausage making. With Tender Quick the sausage mixture gets very salty before the correct amount of cure is reached.
Tender Quick from Morton – Find it here
- Insta Cure
This is essentially the same product as Prague Powder. It comes as Insta Cure #1 and #2, and the uses are the same as for Prague Powder #1 and #2.
Video How to make Leberkaese in German – Unfortunately only in German – In Deutscher Sprache – Ingredient list is in English
Related
Category: Leberkaese Fleischkaese, Traditional German Food Tags: fleischkase, german, homemade, leberkaese, leberkase, recipe
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FAQs
The slice in your Leberkäsesemmel traditionally comes from a baked, crusty loaf, where some combination of finely-chopped pork, bacon and beef typically form the main ingredients. Sometimes Leberkäse contains horse meat, lamb, or game as its main content, but is always labelled as such.
Is there liver in Leberkäse? ›
After all, it is neither liver nor cheese, thus making the name a bit of a head-scratcher. However, there is at least a partial explanation. It comes from the folk etymology of the word 'laib' (loaf), which over time appears to have morphed into 'leber'.
How is Leberkaese made? ›
It consists of beef, pork and bacon and is made by grinding the ingredients very finely and then baking it as a loaf in a bread pan until it has a crunchy brown crust.
How to make a Leberkäse sandwich? ›
As a Sandwich Filling One of the most popular ways to enjoy Leberkäse is as a sandwich filling. Simply slice the meatloaf thinly and place it between two slices of bread, along with your favorite condiments. In Germany, it is common to add mustard, ketchup, and pickles to a Leberkäse sandwich.
Is Leberkäse like spam? ›
“You know the meat that comes out of a can that's really cheap and popular with university students.” From the scowls on their faces, it was clear that my unflattering comparison of Leberkäse to canned meat wasn't appreciated. I cautiously tasted a small bite – yep it tasted exactly like warm SPAM.
What is Leberkäse in English? ›
The word "Leberkäse" literally translates to "liver-cheese". In Bavaria there is neither cheese nor liver in the dish, though. Some linguists say, that the word may be related to the German word Laib (loaf). Perhaps it also contains the Slavic root quas (yeast).
What cheese is best for liver? ›
Choose lower-fat cheese such as cottage cheese, mozzarella or feta rather than cream cheese or cheddar as this will help reduce your saturated fat intake.
What foods are hardest on the liver? ›
Some foods that are harder for the liver to process include highly processed and fatty foods, sugary foods, and alcohol.
Who should not eat liver? ›
Liver is low in calories and rich in high quality protein, all while providing an incredible amount of vital nutrients. For most people, liver can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. However, it should be eaten in limited amounts if you are pregnant and avoided if you have gout.
Where did Leberkäse come from? ›
Leberkäse is a traditional Bavarian meatloaf that traces its roots back to the late 1700s. And while the term literally translates to “liver cheese,” there is rarely liver or cheese in a leberkäse these days.
The main difference being, Braunschweiger is a style of liver sausage made from only pork livers, offal and scraps that originated in the German city of Braunschweig. Whereas liverwurst is a more general term to describe any type of liver sausage. Meaning it could contain a variety of meats like pork, beef, or chicken.
What is a German sandwich called? ›
The typical German version of a sandwich is called a „Butterbrot“ and is made of darker bread (no toast!), butter and cheese or any kind of sausage/Salami; sometimes people add cucumbers, sliced hardboiled eggs or even salad for beauty and taste.
What is a butter sandwich in German? ›
In German cuisine, Butterbrot (literally: butter bread = bread with butter) is a slice of bread topped with butter.
What is a German meat sandwich called? ›
Mett (German: [mɛt]), also known as Hackepeter (Northern Germany, Eastern Germany, Bavaria and Berlin), is a preparation of minced raw pork seasoned with salt and black pepper that is popular in Germany. It is frequently spread on halves of a bread roll, with raw onion optionally on top.
What is Leberkäse made from? ›
What is Leberkäse? This southern German speciality is a rich, compact meatloaf made from finely ground corned beef, pork, bacon and onions and baked till it forms a dark brown crust.
What is the white stuff around liver loaf? ›
Oscar Mayer Liver Cheese is for the most part a square liver loaf, made with pork livers, pork, and dehydrated onions. It's surrounded by a thin layer of lard, and there are bits of livery aspic clinging to it here and there.
How do you eat Leberkäse? ›
The loaf is then traditionally baked in a bread pan until the exterior is crispy. Leberkäse is traditionally eaten in the mornings with eggs, or as a sandwich with a hard wheat roll and spicy mustard as a mid-afternoon snack.
What are the staple ingredients in German cuisine? ›
Whilst there are regional variations in food culture, most German recipes focus heavily on bread, potatoes, and meat, especially pork, as well as plenty of greens such as types of cabbage and kale. Cake, coffee, and beer are all highly popular elements of German cuisine too - which will be good news to most!
