Raw seasoned ground pork (Mett) piled on a sliced Brötchen with rings of raw white onion and a turn of black pepper. The North German butcher-counter snack, eaten at room temperature.

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.

Where to eat Mettbrötchen in Hamburg

2 editor picks for Mettbrötchen in Hamburg, ranked by editorial score. All Hamburg signature dishes · Mettbrötchen across every city.

  • Fischmarkt Altona

    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.

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  • Erika's Eck

    Order The Schnitzel mit Bratkartoffeln; the open-faced Mettwurst Strammer Max at the bar.

    Erika's Eck on the corner of Sternstrasse and Kampstrasse in Hamburg's Schanzenviertel has cooked oversized Schnitzel and Imbiss plates from a wood-panelled.

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Make it at home

Serves 415 minEasy

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.

Editor tip. 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.

Common allergens: Gluten.