Dorsel's Goetta Variation No. 2 (Crock Pot)

Goetta is something like "Scrapple" that's not so greasy. It may be a German dish but in the U.S., it is very popular around Cincinnati, Ohio. Most folks I know eat it as an all-in-one breakfast dish with either syrup, gravy, or melted butter on it. The Dottie Dorsel Pinhead Oatmeal Company sort of set the standard for the recipe and this is a slightly modifide entry of their "alternative version" (non-onion version) of Goetta.

• Ready In: 5 hrs 10 mins
• Yields: 2 loaves

Ingredients

• 1  lb ground beef
• 1  lb ground pork
• 8  cups water (see directions)
• 2 1⁄2 cups pinhead oats (steel-cut oatmeal)
• 2  teaspoons dried savory
• 2  teaspoons salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon bacon fat (for later frying)

Directions

1. Blend the ground meat. Set aside.
2. In a crock pot, combine water, salt and pepper. Cook on high (covered) for 20 minutes then stir in oatmeal. Cover and cook on high for 90 more minutes.
3. Add meat and savory seasoning at the end of the 90 minutes -- blend well. Cover and cook on low for 3 more hours.
4. At the end of the 3 hours, if the goetta is not thick enough, cook it a little longer, stirring often.
5. Pour into bread pans, cover with cling wrap, and place in refrigerator. It will keep for days.
6. When you're ready to eat it, slice the loaf of goetta and put it into a skillet with the bacon fat. Fry over medium heat until it is well browned, turning once.
7. Serve.
8. NOTE: A good friend of mine who makes this all the time use 16 cups of water for this recipe, which is double the recommendation, so don't be afraid to use more than 8 cups if it seems to need it before the cooking time is up. Also, good sausage can be substituted for the ground pork, if you wish.