Leberwurst

German Leberwurst with Cheese and Onions

A traditional German liver sausage (Leberwurst) enriched with Emmental-style cheese and caramelised onions, served on crusty bread. This homemade version uses pork liver and pork shoulder for an authentic, mild flavour and spreadable texture.

Prep

45 min

Cook

90 min

Total

135 min

Serves

8-10

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork shoulder, cut into chunks, about 25% fat for a moist sausage
• •300 g (10½ oz) pork liver, fresh; calves' liver can be substituted for a milder flavour
• •200 g (7 oz) smoked bacon, diced
• •2 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
• •2 g (1 tsp) white pepper, freshly ground
• •1 g (1 tsp) ground mace, or nutmeg as substitute
• •1 g (1 tsp) ground ginger
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) ground cloves
• •0.5 g (¼ tsp) ground cardamom, optional but traditional
• •100 ml (3½ fl oz) heavy cream, for a coarser 'grobe' texture, reduce by half
• •200 g (7 oz) Emmental or mild Swiss-style cheese, diced, Allgäuer Emmentaler is most authentic
• •2 whole (2 medium) yellow onions, finely diced
• •15 g (1 tbsp) unsalted butter
• •8 cloves garlic, crushed
• •250 ml (1 cup) beef or pork stock, for poaching
• •2 leaves bay leaves
• •1 tsp caraway seeds, optional
• •1 kg (2 lb 3 oz) clean pork casings (optional), 32-36 mm; omit for a pâté-style spread
• •1 loaf rustic German country bread (Bauernbrot), sliced, to serve
• •30 g (2 tbsp) whole grain mustard, to serve, optional
• •30 g (2 tbsp) cornichons or pickled gherkins, to serve, optional

Steps

1. 1 Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Add the diced onions and a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 15-20 minutes until deep golden and very soft. Stir in the crushed garlic for the final minute, then remove from the heat and let cool completely.
2. 2 Place the diced pork shoulder, smoked bacon and the bay leaves in a heavy pot. Cover with the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, partially covered, for 30 minutes, skimming any foam that rises.
3. 3 Add the pork liver to the pot and continue to simmer gently for a further 12-15 minutes, until the pork shoulder is tender and the liver is just cooked through (an instant-read thermometer should read 70°C / 158°F in the centre of a liver piece and 85°C / 185°F in the pork). Do not boil hard or the liver will turn grainy.
4. 4 Drain the meats, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaves. Pat the meats dry and let them cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
5. 5 Working in batches, pass the meats through a meat grinder fitted with the medium die. For a coarse ('grobe Leberwurst') texture, grind only once; for the finer spreadable style, pass twice and use the small die.
6. 6 Transfer the ground meat to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or work in a large bowl). Add the salt, white pepper, mace, ginger, cloves, cardamom and caraway if using. Mix on low while slowly pouring in the cream, then continue to beat for 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, light and slightly sticky. Splash in a few tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid if needed to loosen.
7. 7 Fold in the diced Emmental and the cooled caramelised onions by hand. Taste and adjust seasoning - the mixture should be well seasoned as it will mellow when cold.
8. 8 If stuffing casings: rinse the pork casings thoroughly in cold water, then soak in tepid water for 30 minutes. Tie one end and use a sausage-stuffing funnel to fill, pricking any air pockets with a sterile needle. Form into 15-18 cm (6-7 in) links. If not using casings, pack the mixture into small sterilised terrines or ramekins, smoothed flat.
9. 9 Poach the sausages or terrines gently in water at 75-80°C / 165-175°F (do not let the water boil) for 25-35 minutes, until a probe thermometer inserted into the centre reads 72°C / 162°F. For terrines, cover with foil and bake in a bain-marie at 150°C / 300°F until the centre reaches 72°C / 162°F, about 45 minutes.
10. 10 Shock the cooked sausages or terrines in ice water for 10 minutes to stop the cooking and set the texture, then drain and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, for the flavours to develop and the Leberwurst to firm up.
11. 11 To serve, slice or spread the Leberwurst generously on slices of Bauernbrot. Serve cold or at cool room temperature, with the whole grain mustard and cornichons on the side. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and consume within 5 days.