Goetta aka Cincinnati Breakfast Sausage is made with steel-cut oats, beef, pork and lots of spices. It’s a delicious accompaniment to eggs and toast in the morning. Or as a sandwich filling for lunch.
I must confess that while I have driven to, and flown out of Cincinnati, I haven’t actually spent any time there. We were on our way home from a wedding in Ohio and just passing through.
That is to tell you that I have no prior personal knowledge of the goodness of goetta, a sausage of German-American origin that is often called Cincinnati’s signature dish. I found it in a search online for something savory I could make with steel-cut oats! If the internet can be believed, it is pronounced gettah, like the O isn’t there.
There are many classic recipes for goetta but most include beef and pork, along with a variety of spices. I cobbled this one together from a few different ones because I didn’t need to feed a crowd! I used the little loaf pans because they freeze well and a big bread pan won’t fit in my freezer. Also, with only two of us at home, I could take one out, slice and fry, leaving two more to freeze for later, which is exactly what I did.
Goetta - Cincinnati Breakfast Sausage
This recipe makes three small loaf pans, 1 lb each. You can also make it in one normal bread pan, if you prefer.
Ingredients
2 cups or 480ml beef stock
2 cups or 480ml water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt (adjust to taste, depending on your stock)
1 1/4 cups or 170g steel-cut oats (also known as pinhead oats)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried marjoram, divided
8 oz or 225g ground beef
8 oz or 225g ground pork (or sausage)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Method
Place the broth, water, salt, oats, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon of the dried marjoram in a large pot. Stir for a minute or two so the salt will dissolve.
Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 60-75 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are soft and the liquid is absorbed. Discard the bay leaves.
If you have one, I recommend using a diffuser under the pot to help the heat be distributed more evenly so the thickening oatmeal doesn't catch. This is mine.
Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the raw ground beef, ground pork or sausage, onion, garlic and spices.
When the oats are ready, by which I mean they are fully cooked and no longer wet, add the meat mixture in three batches to the pot and stir well to combine after each addition.
You can add it in all at once but that does make it more challenging to combine well. This is with addition number 3, the final one.
Heat through until it starts to slightly bubble then reduce to low, cover and cook for another hour, stirring occasionally. Again, the diffuser comes in handy here. The mixture will get quite loose and watery for a while as the onion cooks down and releases its juice
If the liquid has not all been absorbed after the hour with the lid on, remove the lid and continue to cook uncovered, stirring often until the mixture has thickened so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Pour and press the mixture into 1 regular loaf pan or 3 small loaf pans, greased, and let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Each of mine were 1 lb or 450g.
When ready to serve, slice the goetta into 1/2-inch or 1 cm thick pieces in the loaf pan.
Remove the slices carefully as needed and fry in a DRY nonstick skillet.
Do not overcrowd the pan because you need ample room to turn them over carefully when that time comes. Allow the goetta slices to brown completely before attempting to turn them. This may not guarantee that they won’t crumble but it helps!
Once browned on both sides, you can turn them again to get a deeper brown on each side.
Repeat the process until all the goetta you need is brown. Serve with eggs for breakfast or as a sandwich filling. Wrap well and freeze any unused loaf pans for later.
Enjoy!
It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes made with oats in celebration of National Oatmeal Month. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the oat-y links below.
- Almond Meal Muffins with Oats and Honey from Sizzling Tastebuds
- Cranachan Trifle from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
- Goetta - Cincinnati Breakfast Sausage from Food Lust People Love
- High Protein Scottish Porridge Oats from Palatable Pastime
- Maple Pecan Oatmeal Scones from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- Mini Oat Pancakes With Guacamole Topping from Sneha's Recipe
- Mud Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Oatmeal Banana Quick Bread from Mayuri's Jikoni
- Oatmeal Honey Date Loaf from A Messy Kitchen
- Orange Cranberry Baked Oatmeal from Amy's Cooking Adventures
We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.
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