Goetta is the unsung hero of the breakfast sausage world.
This mixture of ground pork, beef, oats + spices was made famous in the Cincinnati, OH area, but its popularity has trickled down the Ohio River making its way into Louisville grocery stores and restaurants.
Since Goetta (pronounced “get-UH”) isn’t necessarily a household name and a more, “if you know, you know,” kind of food, here are three places to try it in LOU.
- Everyday Kitchen Café, 204 S. Hancock St. — Goetta Hash
- Biscuit Belly, multiple locations — The Go Goetta
- LouVino, multiple locations — Goetta biscuits and gravy
But how’d it Goetta here?
In the 1830s, the recipe for Goetta graced the shores of America thanks to German immigrants settling in the Cincinnati area. Originally, it was made using the less desired, inexpensive parts of an animal + steel-cut oats, and pungent spices — like garlic and mace — and was a staple for farm workers.
Today, it’s made with higher quality ingredients and has become a subculture for the cool kids in the breakfast club. Cue “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” or should we say for-goetta ’bout me?
The largest commercial producer of the sausage, Glier’s Goetta, resides less than 100 miles from Louisville in Covington, KY + hosts an annual Goettafest in the summer. You can pick up a tube of Glier’s at any Kroger. It’s best pan-fried and served with eggs and toast.
DYK: Glier’s produces 1 million pounds of Goetta annually and around 99% of it is consumed in the southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky area.
