The Sarge's Goetta - German Breakfast Treat

Wow! this is probably more "Cincinnati" than Skyline Chili! Taste great fried extra crispy & served with eggs-your-way. It is interesting to note that almost all larger meat-packing-cities with significant ethnic populations have come-up with some version of this dish. It is bassically a "poor-man's sausage", geberrally using soome knid of grain as a "filler" (think "Hamburger Helper"). The addidtion of cooked oats can stretch a little bit of pork & beef a long way! (originally the early immigrants would use those cuts of meat unwanted by the meat packers, i.e. neck bones, etc. Goetta could be fried in the morning and packed as a sandwich for the guys going out to earn a living. Try this recipe for a real authentic German/American treat!

My husband was very skeptical when he saw how much was in the crock pot and no matter what I told him about the rave reviews this recipe receives convinced him that it would taste like his favorite (Gliers)- until he tried it the next morning! He said it was delicious. Since it made so much, I gave my dad a 'loaf' and he says it's the best he's ever had. I usually don't fry my goetta in oil or butter, but rely on the fat in the product. I'll use butter or a little bit of oil next time since the fat was absorbed by the oats. I had little refrigerator space and it was late when the product finished cooking, so I put the mixture into a 9 x 13 pan, evened it out and let it cool off a bit at room temperature before putting it into the refrigerator. The next morning, I turned it out onto waxed paper and cut it into 3 loaves. I plan to freeze the 3rd- but next time, I'll cut the recipe in half.

This stuff is good! I think it might be an acquired taste though because the more I ate the better it got, and the crispier it was the better too. Very easy to make it just takes quite a long time. I think next time I'll probably cut back on the cooking time for the steel cut oats because I had about an inch stuck to the bottom of my crock pot when I finished the 90 minutes. Also, it might be easier to take all the ingredients after the oats are cooked, and mix them in a large bowl before transferring them back into the crockpot because it was hard to mix all together in the crockpot. I just went ahead and refrigerated this overnight because it took so long we went out to eat and I finished cooking the goetta the next morning. I might consider trying to cut this recipe in half next time because it makes a ton. I'm used to making big meals, but this was just overwhelming. It completely fills the crockpot. And when your only cutting thin slices to fry it goes a long way. I'm thinking about freezing the leftovers. I'm not sure if that will work out in the end, but it's worth a try. If you like to cook and don't mind the time it takes, and like to try new things, especially foods from Germany, Hungary, Poland, ect. try this I think it's worth it.