History

Goetta arrived with German immigrants from the 1840s onward, especially from northern Germany and the Rhineland-Westphalia area. The pork-and-grain porridge stretched cheap meat into a hearty breakfast. Robert Glier's Meats opened in Covington, Kentucky in 1946 and became the dominant brand. The Glier's Goettafest, held over two weekends in late July and early August in Newport, draws hundreds of thousands.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Makes about 8 slicesHands-on 20 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450g) pork shoulder, finely diced
  • 1 cup pinhead steel-cut oats
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Sea salt to taste
  • Butter or neutral oil for frying

Method

  1. Combine the diced pork shoulder, water, onion, bay leaves, sage, thyme and a pinch of salt in a heavy pot. Bring to a simmer.
  2. Add the steel-cut oats and stir to combine. Simmer on the lowest heat for 2 to 2.5 hours, stirring every 20 minutes to prevent sticking, until the mixture is thick and pulled.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The texture should be a coarse porridge that holds its shape on a spoon.
  4. Line a loaf pan with parchment and pack the goetta into the pan. Chill uncovered overnight to set firm.
  5. To serve, slice into 1/2-inch slabs. Pan-fry in butter or oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply golden and crisp.
  6. Serve with fried eggs, toast and a slice of bacon.

Tip from the editors. Pinhead oats matter. Substituting rolled oats produces a mushy, gummy texture that loses the trademark goetta crispness when pan-fried.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat goetta

Goetta in Cincinnati

Sugar n' Spice ★ 4.5

Classic diner brunch and lunch since 1941$10-18walnut-hillsMon-Sun 06:30-15:00Walk-in only

Sugar n' Spice on Reading Road in Cincinnati's Paddock Hills is the diner-brunch institution since 1941, with the wispy thin pancakes and signature omelettes.

Order: Wispy Thin Pancakes, goetta and eggs, fluffy omelet

4381 Reading Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45229

Sleepy Bee Cafe Oakley ★ 4.6

All-day breakfast and brunch, farm-to-table$12-22oakleyMon-Sun 08:00-14:00Walk-in only

Sleepy Bee on Madison Road in Cincinnati's Oakley is the farm-to-table brunch flagship since 2013, with pancakes, omelettes and vegan and gluten-free options.

Order: Bee Cakes, sausage gravy biscuits, bee pollen smoothie

3098 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45209

More cities are in research. Want goetta covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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