Recipe: Wild Game Leberkäse (German Meatloaf)

by
posted on March 27, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
germanmeatloaf_lead.gif

This dish is a specialty of south Germany, and literally means ‘liver cheese’—liver is used in some recipes and not in others, depending on the region. It’s a cousin to the ubiquitous bologna, and can be sliced for sandwich meat and served on a bun with mustard and a pickle, or pan-fried until golden brown. It is also used in a meat salad, called fleischsalat, which uses the leberkäse finely chopped as a side, and tossed with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.

It’s important to keep the meat cool throughout the mixing process, so keep it chilled and moving freely in the food processor, so it doesn’t heat up.

Ingredients:
• 1 lb. ground elk
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Tender Quick
• 1 generous tablespoon sea salt flakes
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
• ½ teaspoon ground thyme (or dried thyme leaves crushed in a mortar and pestle)
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 2 medium onions
• ½ lb. rindless streaky bacon, finely chopped
• Melted butter or lard for greasing

Directions:
1. Combine the cornstarch, Tender Quick, salt, paprika, white pepper, marjoram, thyme, nutmeg, and ginger in a small bowl.

2. Put the elk, pork, spice mixture and onions in a food processor and blend, gradually adding the ice until the mixture forms a smooth paste (you may need to do this in a few batches to ensure the food processor isn’t overloaded). This can also be done with two passes through a meat grinder with a fine blade. Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl, add the bacon and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and heavily grease two loaf pans with the melted butter or lard, making sure to grease the corners especially. Chill the loaf pan in the fridge or freezer.

4. Pack the cold meat mixture into the loaf pans, being careful to eliminate any air space. Fill the pans about half full. Smooth out the top and use a knife or spatula to score lines across the top in a crisscross diamond pattern. Bake for 60-90 minutes, until a golden brown crunchy crust forms.

*This recipe makes two loaves and freezes extremely well.

Latest

Trail Cam Lede
Trail Cam Lede

How To Use Trail Cameras to Find More Bucks and Bulls

Get some tips from Scott Haugen on how to optimize your trail cam grid this season.

New for 2025: Davidson's Exclusive Bergara B-14 FSP Hunter Stainless

Davidson’s has collaborated with Bergara to produce the first complete Bergara rifle with a stainless-steel barreled action available in the USA.

New for 2025: Leica USA Rangemaster CRF Max

Leica Sport Optics USA has unveiled the Leica Rangemaster CRF Max. Designed for hunters and long-range shooters who demand precision and reliability, the CRF Max combines Leica’s optical performance with cutting-edge digital integration and a new heads-up display.

Boone and Crockett Club Poaching Data Published

Did you know that the majority of wildlife violations never result in citations? Sure, with so much ground to cover, it may be easy to guess that most violations committed deep in the backcountry will never see the light of day, but the scale is still quite surprising. 

First Look: Horizon Firearms Exclusive

Custom & Collectable Firearms proudly unveils the Horizon Firearms Exclusive, a 1-of-50 limited series built for hunters and anyone who values accuracy, value and dependability.

Boone & Crockett and Pope & Young Now Accepting Javelina Entries

The Boone and Crockett Club (B&C) and Pope and Young Club (P&Y) announced in August that they have completed scoring procedures and are now accepting entries for javelina (collared peccary, Pecari tajacu) in their record books.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.