GOETTA

Goetta recipe is the German answer to scrapple
Thursday, August 31, 2000
By Arlene Burnett, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Several months ago, Kitchen Mailbox received a recipe request for goetta, which was unknown to us but not to a few of our readers who sent us their recipes.

Goetta is of German origin, similar to mush and almost identical to what the Pennsylvania Dutch call scrapple. (Goetta is made with oatmeal and pork; scrapple is made with cornmeal and pork.)

The recommended oatmeal, pinhead, isn't available in this area, but a similar oatmeal, steel cut, is sold here and may be used as a substitute. Steel cut oatmeal can be found in specialty stores, health food stores and some large grocery stores.

The recipe itself is easy to make, but the oatmeal will stick if you don't stir more than occasionally.

Be warned: Goetta is not what anyone would call a "health" food. But the purpose of Kitchen Mailbox is to answer all requests when possible.

Gail Deibler Finke tells us that goetta is very popular in Cincinnati, and everyone she knows uses this recipe.

GOETTA

1 pound ground pork and 1 pound ground beef
8 cups water
2 1/2 cups pinhead oatmeal (we used steel cut)
1 large onion, sliced *
1 to 4 bay leaves, optional *
2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of pepper

In a large pot with a lid, boil the water, add salt, pepper and oatmeal. Cover and let cook for two hours, stirring often.

Add the meat, onion and bay leaves. Mix well. Cook for another hour, stirring often. Remove bay leaf.

Pour into bread pans (size doesn't matter).

Refrigerate overnight.

To serve: Slice the goetta and fry it until crispy or just until heated through. Goetta may be served with pancakes and eggs, on sandwiches or in place of meat at dinner.

* Two teaspoons of savory may be substituted for the onion and bay leaf.

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THE SARGE'S GOETTA
German Breakfast Treat
Source: Sarge
Servings: 20

"This is of German origin, and I have never seen it anywhere except in the Greater Cincinnati Metro area. I typically make this once a year when winter is coming. To serve, slice into thin slices and fry like bacon."

3 quarts water
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
5 cups steel cut oats
2 pounds ground beef
2 pounds ground pork sausage
2 large onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup cooking oil

Bring water, salt, and pepper to boil in a slow cooker set to High. Stir in steel cut oats, cover, and cook 90 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix beef, pork, and onions. Stir into the oat mixture, and reduce heat to Low. Cover, and continue cooking 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the mixture to a medium baking pan, and cool until semi-solid. Turn out onto wax paper, and chill 1 hour in the refrigerator, or until firm.

Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Cut the refrigerated mixture into thin slices. Cook slices one at a time in the heated oil until evenly brown.