Leber means liver while Käse is cheese. However, this meatloaf that is eaten as sausage has neither one nor the other, at least in its Bavarian version. The name actually derives from Old German, where Lab would be bread and Kasi a solid dough. Therefore the name would literally mean Dough Bread.
This is one of the most famous and popular specialties in Bavarian cuisine. It is a meatloaf that is baked as if it were bread and eaten as a sausage. So far it is easy to explain.
What is not so easy is to understand its name. The leberkäse is well documented since the late 18th century and it is Munich, the capital of Bavaria, its birthplace. The name would mean, in current standard German, Liver Cheese, although it did not originally contain any of these ingredients. The truth is that it seems that the name comes from Old German and would come to mean "compact mass", alluding to the coagulation of meat protein. Nothing to do with the cheese or the liver.
Leberkäse is consumed throughout Germany both as a meatloaf fresh from the oven and as a cold sausage, but outside of Bavaria it does include liver in its composition. It is argued that, as the name indicates, it must have liver. The Germans are that logical.
If it is consumed hot, it is common to serve it accompanied by a fried egg and pickled gherkins, but it is also usually eaten in a sandwich, which is usually the way that Germans like the most. When it is consumed as a sausage it is ingested in the same way as any other sausage, that is, cold and in salads, sandwiches, on toast etc, etc. The difference is that this sausage can be prepared at home with the quality of the ingredients you want and the flavor of spices that you like the most.
We are going to give the recipe for the Bavarian leberkäse which is the original and does not contain liver. Unlike other meat pies, it does not use eggs to curdle the ingredients, leaving this task to the meat's own proteins. To do this, it is necessary to have a deep rectangular mold that can be baked, made of metal or silicone. The result can be eaten at any meal as a main dish or as a sausage by simply slicing it, taking into account that since it is not an industrialized recipe, it must be consumed in less than three days.
INGREDIENTS :
- 400 grams (14 oz) of lean beef
- 400 grams (14 oz) of pork
- 200 grams (7 oz) of bacon (without crust)
- 250 ml (1 cup and 1/4) of water almost to the point of freezing
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon of white pepper
- 1 tablespoon of marjoram or oregano
All meat must be very cold before starting the recipe. The usual thing is that it is around 3 degrees Celsius (38 F), so it is best to place it in the freezer for a while before starting to make the sausage.
Likewise, the water to be incorporated must be almost frozen. This is not capricious, since otherwise the cake will not curdle (remember that it does not have an egg). The ideal temperature is the one where putting your hand in the water really hurts. As if you had introduced it into a high mountain stream.
We cut all the meat into pieces and we pass it through the shredder until it is soft. Then we add the salt, pepper and cold water. We mix well.
Add the grated onion and oregano or marjoram. We incorporate the meat, mix well and take it to the mold that unless it is made of silicone we must grease with butter.
We preheat the oven to 180 degrees (356 F) and bake for 1 hour or until a dark crust forms on the cake.
We unmold it carefully so that it does not fall apart and we can now serve the portions on each guest's plate.
If we want to use it as a sausage, we let it cool and unmold, taking it to the refrigerator immediately. It is sliced like any other sausage.
Of course, in the latter case it must be consumed with some speed. It is also possible to fry or reheat the meatloaf if you prefer to consume it cold.