PREP TIME20 mins
COOK TIME3 hrs
SETTING TIME12 hrs
TOTAL TIME15 hrs 20 mins
SERVINGS22 servings
YIELD2 loaf pans (5.5 pounds)
Pinhead oats are whole oat groats that are cut into small pieces. Dorsel’s is the traditional brand used in and around Cincinnati. You can either order it online or use the nearly similar steel-cut oats, which you can find at most any grocery store.
If you don’t have poultry seasoning, use 1/2 teaspoon each of dried rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and sage.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups pinhead or steel-cut oats (see recipe note)
- 2 teaspoons (10g) salt, divided
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 is good)
- 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning (see recipe note)
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (or substitute black pepper; I like a 50/50 blend of white and black)
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 cups low-sodium beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
Method
- Cook the oats:In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the water, oats, and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until very thick and creamy, about 30 minutes.
- Mix the meat and seasonings:
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the ground pork and beef, seasonings, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Mix on low speed until combined, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- With the machine running on low, slowly pour in 2 cups of the beef stock and mix until sticky, about 2 minutes. Mixing the meats until they are sticky helps form a protein bond that’ll make your finished goetta less crumbly and have a more sausage-like texture.
- Add the meat mixture and stock and cook until very thick:
- Transfer the meat mixture to the pot with the oats. Add the remaining beef stock and stir well to make a light pink sludge. Add the bay leaves, then raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
- Reduce the heat as low as it can go and cook, uncovered, 1 to 2 hours, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent the oats from sticking to the bottom and scorching. It’ll slowly turn brown and then, as the liquid evaporates, it’ll look less like oatmeal and more like a chunky, brownish-gray peanut butter.
- It should require more and more effort to stir the longer it cooks (if in doubt, cook longer). When it’s ready, it’ll be quite stiff, and you’ll easily see the bottom of the pot when you drag the spoon through the mixture.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed; it should be salty the way sausage is salty. Remove the bay leaves and set the pot aside for now.
- Fill the loaf pans:
- Line the bottoms of two 8 1/2×4 1/2 or 9×5-inch loaf pans with parchment. Grease the pans and parchment with cooking spray.
- Divide the mixture between the pans and smooth the tops. Let the pans cool on the counter for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours to set.
- Wrap and store:
- Slide a thin metal spatula between the parchment and the goetta to loosen it, then unmold the loaf and wrap it well in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 year.
- Fry the goetta to serve:
- Even though the goetta is fully cooked, it’s always served sliced and fried or griddled. Cut the loaf into 1/2-inch slices.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil or bacon fat in a skillet (preferably nonstick or cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the goetta, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook 5 to 10 minutes per side, disturbing the goetta as little as possible so you don’t break up the crispy brown crust as it forms. You may need to lower the heat of the pan bit by bit to keep it from scorching.
