Yumm Leberkäse. The first time I ever had some was after a German class at the Goethe Institute . A bunch of us walked over to the Christkindlmarket after our final class. Thick slabs of Leberkäse shared space on the hot grill with bratwurst.In the dead of winter, I bit into my hearty sandwich with sauerkraut and fell in love. Certain Someones mother would serve it at times when we visited Essen, a pre made loaf from a deli, that she heated up. All these years I was under the mistaken impression there was a bit of liver in that meat, that gave it that savory taste. You see Leberkäse breaks down in translation to literally Liver Cheese. It’s a Bavarian specialty . However other regions of Germany add small percentages of liver. So the Leberkäse can vary by region. When I told Certain Someone I was making this, he too thought there was a bit of liver in the preparation as well. Maybe in Essen there is. The final verdict of my Bavarian style Leberkäse passed his tough German expectations. In an ode to Essen and his mother I added some green peppercorns, as that’s how I remembered it served there.
You may ask why am I making Leberkäse in the middle of summer? For various reasons. Certain Someone is home after some travel and I need more things on hand to feed him while I’m working. A girl has to be organized. It tastes even better the day after preparation. I can slice it cold or hot. Think of it as homemade lunch meat. We like to slice it thick and pan fry it with some onions. Try adding a fried egg on top , or serve it up like a cold pate with cornichons or salads. The recipe isn’t as hard as you would think. You need either a meat grinder , a food processor or an immersion blender. I added pink salt or cure to mine to help it retain its pink color, as opposed to turning grayish in color. One more hint. If you are a bit lazy, use a good quality ground pork and beef.The bacon still has to be ground in. But using pre ground meat is a time-saving option for those who are not as adventurous or lack all the equipment.
Some tips to remember. As you’re working with ground meats , the colder the better. In my research I picked up a common tip of adding crushed ice to the meat before that final blending emulsification. It also helps with the bubbly smooth airy texture of the final product. Some people add heavy cream. I added just plain dry powdered ( goats )milk, as I always add that to my meatloaf’s (I don’t know why, but it works. I believe its something about adding extra nutrients and extending the protein ). All of this helps the fats stay suspended and the meat emulsify. The mixture needs to chill and rest for a few hours. As I added a cure, it was still baked on the same day only for color retention.
I used my trusty XYBOARD in the kitchen to research Leberkäse ,techniques,and take quick clear photos while in the kitchen.It saved me a lot a time going to different rooms for the camera, etc.
- 2 lbs stewing beef cubes
- 1.5 lbs stewing pork cubes
- ½ bacon( the fattier the better)
- 1 small onion minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp cure , pink salt, etc ( scant ¼ tsp per lb of meat)
- 3 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp dry powdered milk
- 1 tsp coriander
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp mace or nutmeg
- ¾ tsp paprika
- grated lemon zest ( approx ½ tsp) optional
- 3 cups crushed ice
- 2 tbsp green peppercorns ( if you prefer use less)
- In a meat grinder grind your beef and pork, and bacon.
- Place ground meats in a large bowl.
- Add your minced onion and garlic.
- Add your spices, curing salt and dry milk.
- Mix well.
- At this point you can place the ground meats in a food processor or use an immersion blender ( the immersion blender needs to be used carefully as to not burn out. Give it a rest if needed.) Mix the meats with the crushed ice until it forms a smooth paste. You don't want the paste to thick but it airy enough. The ice keeps the fats suspended and aides in the emulsification.
- Once you get the desired texture (there can still be some clumps of ice and that is fine as it helps form air bubbles in texture).
- Add the green peppercorns and mix in with hands( after removed from the food processor)
- Chill the meat mixture for 1 to 2 hrs.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease loaf pan or pans.
- Pack meat mixture into pans.
- With a knife make a criss -cross pattern on top.
- Place pans in a larger pan with water to catch any fat drippings.
- Bake for 1.5 hrs.
- Remove loaves from pans and drain of fats.
- Serve warm or cold.
- It tastes even better the day after.
“Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Midwest Savvy Gourmets program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”
I was touched, as you really do not see a lot of that type of devotion here. One wonders if the younger generations will keep these traditions. We mostly stayed put while Certain Someone’s mother provided us three meals. She takes great pride in her cooking and it was fun to see her baby truly enjoy her sturdy food. Breakfasts began with various wursts, bread, Mett (similar to steak tartar but made with pork), some cheese, soft-boiled eggs, etc. I admit it was hard for me to adjust to eating like that each morning and I just cannot wrap my head around Mett. Lunches were the big meals and she presented my favorites like Leberkasse (a type of meatloaf which ironically does not have liver in it),
stuffed cabbage roulades in kraut, goose, and tons of potato dishes. Who knew all those versions of potato salads could exist and some even with more wursts! Certain Someone’s mothers likes to bake cakes and make puddings too. Normally he does not eat my sweets but again it was fun to see him lap up the puddings. All of this, washed down with tons of coffee drinking and beer .The kitchen was off limits to me and her sole domain . Unfortunately, I did not get to see or learn how to make her wonderful cookies.Rich marzipan and buttery confections. She also is a gifted needle pointer and the house was filed with all her decorated table linens, and ornaments with her signature needlework. In another time and place I can see her giving Martha Stewart a run for her money in the crafts and cooking departments.
Certain Someone and I visited some of his childhood friends as well while in Essen. I am not used to a place virtually shutting down for days. Christmas is celebrated over days. First, the opening of the presents on the Eve, Christmas Day, and then Zweiter Weihnachts Tag (the second day). Strangely, church going is not big in Germany except for perhaps Christmas. We did manage to leave the house and walk along the beautiful Ruhr River. 
Certain Someone entertained me with visits to both Cologne and Dusseldorf as well, both about an hour by train from Essen. We made it the famous Christmas market in Cologne, one of Germany’s oldest cities. The market is right under the Cathedral, which houses the bones of the Magi as well as many knights, kings, and princes. The cathedral dates back fro centuries and is always in a state of repair and renovation. 
We breaked for lunch at a traditional Brau Haus (brewery) for good German food and Kolsh (the beer Cologne is famous for). I loved these sort of places where one takes a table and may share it with others eating good simple food. I always claim German food is the Soul Food of Europe. I devoured with Certain Someone’s help a delicious Ham shank. Overall, I liked Cologne except for the maddening Christmas crowds. It was a bit overwhelming at that time of year, but hopefully one day I will be back when it is calmer. I searched high and low for Springerele molds for next years cookies but could not find any. It is a lost art it seems. After Christmas, Certain Someone whisked me off to Düsseldorf. While Cologne is known for media, carnivals, arts and culture, and being called ‘the gayest city ‘ in Germany, is its rival in fashion, more media, banking, and its Alt Beer. I think I am more a Dusseldorf kind of girl myself.
I loved walking by the Rhine and strolling down the Kö( Königsalle/ Kings Alley) taking in the fashionable designer shops and jewelers. I tried to show Certain Someone some baubles priced at around 20,000 euros but he was not having it. You know how men wait outside while you look. Although he stopped in a few stores to check out his passion, watches. We visited another Brau House to sample Düsseldorf’s Alt Beer (old beer) . I liked this one more because it was darker. We both had dishes with Spatzle and another memorable lunch before heading back to Essen. If I ever had to live in Germany Dusseldorf would be more to my liking. And alas, the trip was over. Ten days of eating, drinking, and a lot of contemplation. I have a new understanding of Germany and hopefully will get to explore more of it one day.