Frederic Melton
Liver cheese, or Leberkäse, is a German speciality food made of ground meat and spices. Despite its name, liver cheese does not contain any cheese. Instead, it is made of beef, pork, and bacon, and sometimes other meats such as horse meat or turkey. It is often served as thin slices on a sandwich, with mustard, or fried in a pan.
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What You'll Learn
Liver cheese is a translation of the German word Leberkase
Liver cheese is a translation of the German word "Leberkäse", which literally means "liver-cheese". It is a speciality food found in southern Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. The dish consists of finely ground beef, pork, and bacon, baked in a loaf until it forms a crunchy brown crust. Leberkäse has a strong liver taste and a creamy texture, and it is often served as a sandwich with mustard and a salad leaf. It can also be sliced thinly and used as cold cuts.
Leberkäse has a long history, dating back to the 1700s when it was popularized in Germany. It is considered an adventurous dish within German cuisine and is commonly found in German bakeries, where it is known as "Leberkäs Semmeln". This dish consists of a dinner roll cut open with butter and a thick slice of Leberkäse in between the bun halves.
The process of making Leberkäse involves grinding the ingredients very finely and then baking them in a bread pan. Variations of Leberkäse may include additional ingredients such as cheese, minced chilli peppers, or other types of meat such as horse meat or turkey. One such variation is "Pferdeleberkäse", which is made with horsemeat and can occasionally be found in places like Vienna, Austria. Another variation is "Pizzaleberkäse", which includes cheese, cut bell peppers, pickles, and small cubes of salami, named for its resemblance to pizza.
In terms of ingredients, Leberkäse typically contains small amounts of nitrite, phosphate, and citric acid. The phosphate helps bind the meat together, while the nitrite gives the liver cheese its distinctive pink colour. Spices used in Leberkäse may include marjoram, coriander, thyme, and ginger, although the specific spices can vary.
Liver cheese or Leberkäse has a strong flavour and aroma that may be an acquired taste for some. It is often described as having a pungent and meaty taste, with a creamy texture. The Oscar Mayer brand of liver cheese is known for its thin fat rind, which adds a slight chewiness to the product.
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It is a speciality food found in parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland
Liver cheese, or Leberkäse in German, is a speciality food found in parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The name translates to "liver-cheese" in English, although it does not actually contain any cheese. Instead, it is made by grinding together beef, pork and bacon, and baking the mixture in a bread pan to create a loaf with a crunchy brown crust. Leberkäse is said to have a strong liver taste and a pungent, meaty flavour.
The dish is particularly popular in the Swabian, Bavarian and Franconian parts of Germany, as well as in Austria and parts of Switzerland. In the Netherlands, a similar dish is known as "leverkaas", while in Saarland, Baden, Switzerland and Tyrol, it is called "Fleischkäse", or "meat-cheese".
Leberkäse is often served as thin slices in sandwiches, sometimes with Bavarian sweet mustard and a salad leaf. It can also be fried in a pan with some oil, or reheated in the oven after being frozen. In German bakeries, it is common to find a "Leberkäs Semmeln", which is a dinner roll cut open with butter and a thick slice of Leberkäse inside.
There are several variations of Leberkäse, including Pizzaleberkäse, which includes cheese, cut bell peppers, pickles and small cubes of salami; Pferdeleberkäse, which is made with horsemeat; and Zwiebelleberkäse, which is made with onions.
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It consists of beef, pork and bacon
Liver cheese, or Leberkäse in German, is a type of meat speciality found in southern Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. Despite its name, liver cheese does not contain any cheese. Instead, it is made by grinding beef, pork, and bacon into a very fine texture and then baking the mixture in a bread pan until it forms a loaf with a crunchy brown crust.
The process of making liver cheese involves grinding small pieces of meat in a meat grinder and adding spices such as marjoram, coriander, thyme, and nutmeg. Phosphate is also added to help bind the meat, while nitrite gives the liver cheese its distinctive pink colour. The absence of nitrite will result in a white-coloured liver cheese.
Liver cheese has a strong liver taste that is described as "minerally and gamey at the same time with an intense meat flavour". It is often sliced thinly and served as cold cuts on a sandwich, sometimes with Bavarian sweet mustard and a salad leaf. In Germany, it is common to find "Leberkäs Semmeln", which is a dinner roll cut open with butter and a thick slice of liver cheese in between the bun halves.
Liver cheese is considered an adventurous dish in German cuisine and can be challenging to find in certain regions, such as Texas. However, it is a beloved food item for many, including an 82-year-old mother in Houston, Texas, who has been enjoying it her whole life.
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Variations may include cheese, minced chilli peppers or horsemeat
Liver cheese, or Leberkäse in German, is a type of porcine meat/cheese mixture that was popularized in the 1700s. The standard ingredients are ground pork liver and other cuts of pork, with added salt and onion for flavour. However, variations may include cheese, minced chilli peppers, or horsemeat.
The addition of cheese to liver cheese creates a variation called Pizzaleberkäse. This variety also includes cut bell peppers, pickles, and small cubes of salami, earning its name from its similarity to pizza. Liver cheese with horsemeat is called Pferdeleberkäse, and this variety is occasionally found in places like Vienna, Austria.
Liver cheese can be made at home by grinding the ingredients very finely and then baking them in a bread pan until a crunchy brown crust forms. The meat mixture can be challenging to bind, so phosphate is often added as a binding agent. Nitrite is another common additive, as it gives the liver cheese a pink colour. Without nitrite, liver cheese has a white colour.
Liver cheese is often sliced thinly and served as cold cuts on a sandwich. In German bakeries, it is common to find a "Leberkäs Semmeln", which is a dinner roll cut open with butter and a thick slice of liver cheese in between the bun halves. Liver cheese sandwiches are often served with Bavarian sweet mustard and a salad leaf.
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It is made by grinding ingredients and baking in a loaf tin
Liver cheese, or Leberkäse in German, is a speciality food found in the south of Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland. It is made by grinding ingredients and baking them in a loaf tin. The primary ingredients are beef, pork, and bacon, which are ground very finely and then baked in a bread pan until a crunchy brown crust forms. Liver cheese gets its name from its translation of the German words "Leber" and "käse", which mean liver and cheese, respectively. Interestingly, despite the name, liver cheese does not typically contain any cheese. However, variations may include it along with other additional ingredients such as minced chilli peppers.
The process of making liver cheese begins with cutting all the meat into small pieces to fit into a meat grinder. The ground ingredients are then mixed and baked in a loaf tin, resulting in a loaf with a crunchy brown crust. This crust is a distinctive feature of liver cheese, setting it apart from other similar dishes.
While the traditional recipe calls for beef, pork, and bacon, variations exist that substitute other types of meat. For example, Pferdeleberkäse, as the name suggests, is made with horsemeat. This variation is occasionally found in places like Vienna, Austria. Another variation is Zwiebelleberkäse, which includes onions in the mixture and is commonly found in the Swabian and Franconian regions of Germany.
Liver cheese is typically served in thin slices, either fried or as cold cuts on a sandwich. It is often paired with Bavarian sweet mustard and a salad leaf, creating a delicious and filling sandwich. Liver cheese can also be enjoyed as a "Leberkäs Semmeln", which is a dinner roll cut open with butter and a thick slice of liver cheese in between the bun halves.
Preparing liver cheese at home requires specific ingredients and equipment, such as a meat grinder or food processor, that may not be readily available in all kitchens. As a result, many people opt to purchase liver cheese from a butcher or specialty store rather than make it themselves.
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Frequently asked questions
Liver cheese, or Leberkase, is made of ground beef, pork, and bacon. It is a speciality food found in the south of Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland.
Liver cheese has a strong liver taste and is described as pungent and meaty. It is an acquired taste, unlike any other cut of organ meat.
Liver cheese can be eaten on its own, in a sandwich, or as part of a traditional German bakery item called "Leberkäs Semmeln," which is a dinner roll cut open with butter and a thick slice of liver cheese in between the bun halves.
