Goetta

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Quick Bite

Goetta is a Cincinnati breakfast sausage made with pork, beef, steel-cut oats, and spices, sliced from a loaf and fried until crisp. It is German-American, hearty, crunchy-edged, and one of Cincinnati’s great morning obsessions.

History

Goetta came to the Cincinnati region through German immigrants, especially in the 19th century. The dish reflects practical sausage-making traditions where meat was stretched with grain to create something filling, economical, and flavorful.

The key ingredient is steel-cut oats, sometimes called pinhead oats. They give goetta its signature texture, making it different from scrapple, livermush, or ordinary sausage. Pork and beef are cooked with oats, onions, bay, and spices, then chilled in a loaf and sliced for frying.

Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are goetta country. Glier’s is the best-known commercial producer, while butcher shops like Eckerlin Meats at Findlay Market make their own versions. Goetta shows up at breakfast counters, diners, festivals, grocery stores, and home kitchens.

The best goetta has a crisp browned crust and a soft, savory center. If it falls apart a little in the pan, that is not failure, that is breakfast texture doing its job.

Fun Facts

• Goetta is pronounced roughly “GET-uh.”
• Steel-cut oats are what make it goetta.
• The Cincinnati region loves goetta so much that it has its own Goettafest.

Where to Try

Eckerlin Meats Findlay Market, Cincinnati, Ohio
A historic butcher shop known for house-made goetta and goetta breakfast sandwiches.

Glier’s Goetta Covington / Cincinnati region
The biggest commercial goetta name, with products found across the region and celebrated at Goettafest.

Price Hill Chili Cincinnati, Ohio
A classic Cincinnati restaurant where goetta belongs naturally on the breakfast menu.

About the Game

This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.

Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.

Recipe

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Home-Cook-Friendly Goetta Makes: 2 loaves Prep: 20 minutes, plus chilling Cook: 2 hours Difficulty: Medium Style: Cincinnati / German-American Breakfast

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 ½ cups steel-cut oats
• 6 cups water or beef broth
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon sage
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Butter or oil, for frying

Instructions

1. Boil the liquid: Bring water or broth to a boil in a large pot.
2. Add oats and seasonings: Stir in steel-cut oats, onion, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and bay leaves.
3. Simmer the oats: Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring often.
4. Add the meat: Add ground pork and beef, breaking the meat up very finely.
5. Cook until thick: Cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring frequently, until thick.
6. Remove bay leaves: Remove bay leaves.
7. Fill loaf pans: Spoon the mixture into greased loaf pans.
8. Chill: Chill overnight until firm.
9. Slice and fry: Slice and fry in butter or oil until browned and crisp on both sides.

Traditional note: To make it more traditional, use steel-cut oats, pork and beef, onion, and simple spices. Chill it firm, slice it thick, and fry it patiently until the edges get crisp.

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