Bologna

Leberkäse

Bavarian Leberkase / Fleischkase Style Meat Loaf

Leberkäse is a bologna built on a 45% lean meat / 35% pork / 20% pork fat blend, using lean wild game or lean beef. Finish at an internal 160°F (71°C), grind at Fine (1/8") then Fine (1/8"). Exact amounts scale to any batch weight in the DeepWoodz Smokehouse app for iPhone and Android.

There is no liver in it, despite the name. In Bavaria it is finely emulsified meat baked in a pan until the top cracks into a dark crust. The whole job is the batter: keep it below 53°F in the food processor or the fat breaks out and the loaf turns greasy and crumbly. Score the top before it goes in. Serve it hot in thick slabs on a roll with sweet mustard, and fry the leftovers in butter the next morning.

• Savory
• Peppery
• Mild

Internal temp

160°F (71°C)

What goes in it

• Kosher Salt
• Cure #1
• Crushed Ice / Ice Water
• Onion Powder
• Dextrose
• White Pepper
• Marjoram
• Ground Mustard
• Mace
• Sweet Paprika
• Ground Ginger
• Ground Nutmeg

Amounts are calculated for your batch weight in the app — including the cure, which is held at a fixed, food-safe rate.

The meat

Lean Wild Game · Lean Beef · Pork Butt · Pork Shoulder · Pork Fat

Bear or wild hog: take it to 165°F and hold 3 minutes. Freezing, smoking and curing do not reliably kill trichinella — only heat does.

How it's made

1. Cube the lean meat, pork and pork fat and chill until the edges are firm. Keep the fat separate.
2. Grind the lean meat and pork twice through the 1/8" plate. Grind the fat once through the 1/8" plate. Chill everything again.
3. Mix all the dry seasonings together, salt included.
4. Dissolve the cure into a cup of the ice water.
5. Working in batches no more than half the food processor bowl, process the lean meat and pork with the cure water, the dry seasonings and half the ice until it turns into a sticky paste.
6. Add the fat and the rest of the ice and process until the batter is smooth, shiny and pale pink. Keep it below 53°F - if it climbs, chill it 15 minutes before you go on.
7. Cook a spoonful in a pan and taste it. If it tastes flat it needs salt, not more spice.
8. Grease 9x5" loaf pans with lard or butter. Each holds about 3 lb of batter.
9. Pack the batter in firmly in layers and rap the pan on the counter to knock out the air pockets. Smooth the top with a wet spatula.
10. Score a diamond pattern about 1/4" deep across the top.
11. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes to set the crust.
12. Drop the oven to 300°F and bake until the center reaches 160°F, about 60 to 75 minutes more.
13. If the top is not deep brown, run it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes and watch it closely.
14. Rest 10 minutes in the pan, then turn it out.
15. Serve warm in thick slabs on a hard roll with sweet or spicy mustard, or with a fried egg and potatoes. Chill leftovers and fry the slices in butter. Leberkäse is usually made with beef and pork with pork back fat. Our recipe uses lean venison or beef with pork butt and pork fat.

Before you start

• How much Cure #1 per pound
• Venison to pork fat ratio