History

Mett (raw seasoned pork) has been a German butcher's staple since at least the 18th century, regulated under modern food law: the pork must be processed and chilled the same day, and contains less than 35 percent fat. The Mettbrötchen is a Northern German butcher-counter and bakery snack rather than a Hamburg-specific dish, but Hamburg butcher counters and St Pauli Imbiss windows serve it the same way; Erika's Eck in the entertainment district is the cult late-night Mett stop.

Common allergens: Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 500g freshly minced pork shoulder (same-day from a trusted butcher who knows it is for raw eating)
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground caraway
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp cold water (optional, for spreadability)
  • 4 fresh Brötchen or hard rolls
  • 2 small white onions, finely diced
  • Coarsely cracked black pepper, to finish
  • Pickled gherkins, to serve

Method

  1. Use freshly minced pork shoulder from a butcher who has minced it that morning specifically for raw eating. Do not use supermarket pork; the risk is not worth it and the texture is wrong.
  2. Tip the mince into a chilled bowl. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, ground caraway and nutmeg.
  3. Mix gently with a fork or with cool fingertips. Add 1 tbsp cold water if you want a softer spread. Do not overmix; the texture should stay loose and coarse, not paste-like.
  4. Taste a tiny pinch with a clean spoon and adjust salt and pepper.
  5. Refrigerate covered for 5 minutes; eat within the hour, as Mett does not keep.
  6. Slice each Brötchen in half horizontally. Do not toast or butter.
  7. Pile a generous portion of seasoned Mett on the bottom half of each roll, in a thick rough dome.
  8. Scatter generously with diced raw white onion and a few twists of cracked black pepper.
  9. Eat open-face like a Smørrebrød, or close into a sandwich (the Hamburg working-port way). Serve with a sharp gherkin on the side and a cold pilsner.

Tip from the editors. Same-day pork from a trusted butcher is non-negotiable for raw eating. Diced raw onion is the only acceptable topping; mustard gets the eyeroll.

Where to eat mettbrötchen

Mettbrötchen in Hamburg

Erika's Eck ★ 4.0

German€€sternschanzeUntil late, hours vary by day

Erika's Eck on Sternstrasse in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel runs an Imbiss room that has fed working-shift and post-club Schanze crowds since the early 1980s.

Try: Schnitzel and Mettwurst

Tip: Hours vary by day: Mon 17:00-23:00, Tue and Wed open from 07:00, Thu late, Fri runs through, weekends split morning and evening. Cash and card accepted.

Sternstrasse 98, 20357 Hamburg

Fischmarkt Altona ★ 4.7

Market€altonaSun 15 Mar to 14 Nov 05:00-09:30; 15 Nov to 14 Mar 07:00-09:30

Fischmarkt Altona on Grosse Elbstrasse in Hamburg has run every Sunday morning since 1703 and is the city's defining harbour market, with 70,000 weekly.

Tip: Arrives 05:00 in summer, 07:00 in winter; closes by 09:30 sharp. Auctioneer banter is the show.

Grosse Elbstrasse 9, 22767 Hamburg

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