Archive for the ‘: GERMAN’ Category
Giant Meatball I
May 17, 2019 Lee
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Giant Meatball I

Lee
I was in another province in 2017 and there was a German restaurant right around the corner from where I was staying. I decided to order a meal there and looked through the menu, one item stuck out, "Meatball, served on mashed potatoes with gravy and a vegetable." I called the waitress over and asked "is this one meatball or many meatballs?" She said "just one, but it is big." I ordered this, and oh my, I was surprised, about a ½ to ¾ pound meatball! And it was very good! So here is my rendition of this delicious meal. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American, German
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

  • Oven
  • Baking Sheet with Rack
  • Foil

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs

  • 500 grams ground beef, (1 lb)
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs, Shortcut
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup beef broth, fresh or from powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 tablespoon onion, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Gravy

  • 1 packet beef gravy mix, Shortcut

For Serving

  • hot mashed potatoes, Shortcut
  • steamed vegetable, of your choice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F). Line a baking sheet with foil then place a rack on the sheet and cover that with foil, this is so the fat will drain.
  • Add all the meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl, use your hands to fully mix everything but without overworking the mixture.
  • Divide the mixture into 2 or 3 equal portions, shape each portion into a ball and place on the foil covered rack.
  • Bake for 30-45 minutes. The meatballs should be nicely browned and internal temp should be 70° C (160° F).
  • About 20 minutes before the meatballs are done, go ahead and prepare your gravy, make the mashed potatoes (I will use my pressure cooker method), and steam a vegetable of your choice.
  • When the meatballs are done, add a generous helping of mashed potatoes to a plate, place a meatball on top of the potatoes, ladle some gravy over the meatball, add the veggy of your choice to the side of the plate, repeat for the remaining meatball(s), serve and enjoy.

Notes

This will a High cost per serving for 2 or 3 servings. I'll get a specific cost when I order beef again.
Shortcuts: Breadcrumbs, Gravy Mix, Mashed Potatoes (Pressure Cooker).
Variant: 1. Use hot cooked egg noodles in place of mashed potatoes.
Just winged this, basically just beef meatballs on a larger scale. Lee Thayer, Thailand.
* High Cost $1.51+ per Serving,: GERMAN,MEATBALLS
German Meat Salad I
April 2, 2019 Lee
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German Meat Salad I

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This should be called Fleischsalat or Wurstsalat depending on where you are in Germany, but I am not using German Bologna, just regular bologna from Tesco here in Thailand. There is two dressings listed as well, a vinaigrette and mayo, use either one per your preference.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 400 grams bologna, (14 oz), German bologna if you have it
  • 200 grams Swiss cheese, (7 oz)
  • 4 small dill pickles, German if you have them

For the Vinaigrette Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon vinaigrette dressing
  • 1 tablespoon pickle juice

For the Mayo Dressing

  • 4 tablespoons mayo, or as needed or desired

Instructions
 

  • Stack the bologna and slice into ¼ inch wide strips, add to a mixing bowl.
  • Slice the cheese into long thin slices, then stack and slice those into ¼ inch wide strips, add to the mixing bowl.
  • Slice the pickles, you guessed it, into ¼ inch wide pieces like the bologna and cheese, add to the mixing bowl.
  • Mix together the vinaigrette dressing and pickle juice, add the dressing to the mixing bowl and toss to mix together.
  • Or toss with the mayo.
  • Cover and place in the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours.
  • Serve as is or on a bed of lettuce. Enjoy.

Notes

Fair cost per serving.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,: GERMAN
Swiss Cheese Potatoes
December 14, 2018 Lee
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Swiss Cheese Potatoes

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Excellent twist to mashed potatoes and is German in origin. Very tasty, the Swiss cheese is an excellent touch.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine German
Servings 12 servings

Equipment

  • Broiler
  • Baking Pan (8x8 inch)

Ingredients
  

  • 8 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1½ teaspoons salt, divided
  • 2 cups celery, diced, or 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • ¾ cup onion, diced
  • 1½ cups Swiss cheese, shredded, divided
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place potatoes in a large pot, add water to cover potatoes and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. At the 10 minute mark, add the celery and onion, cook until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Drain, and let the pot cool a bit, then pour all the vegetables back into the pot.
  • Heat your broiler, and for those with counter top ovens, heat the top coil to the hottest setting. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with butter.
  • Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes as you add the milk, butter, ¾ cup of cheese, black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of salt. (I used the variant method and pressure cooked the potatoes, skin on, and sautéed the onion, and I used celery seed instead of celery.)
  • Place the mashed potatoes into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Broil for 5 to 8 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned.
  • Serve as a side with any dish.

Notes

Variant: 1. Use a pressure cooker for the potatoes then sauté the onion and celery and add to the potatoes when you are ready to mash.
#1 Go-To Recipes,: GERMAN,POTATOES,SIDES
Bratwurst
September 28, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

Bratwurst

Adapted from an internet recipe.
In my never ending quest of learning to make different types of sausage, this worked out very nice, with excellent sausages. This would be perfect paired with some homemade sauerkraut.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 5 lbs bratwurst

Equipment

  • Meat Grinder
  • Hog Casings

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ kilo pork butt, (3 lb)
  • 1 kilo beef, lean, (2 lb)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 5 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork and beef into 2 inch cubes. Here I have the beef on the left, pork butt on the right.
  • Add the cubed meat to a large mixing bowl or pot, add all the dry ingredients from black pepper to onion powder. (I was out of onion powder so I added ½ cup diced onion.)
  • Using your hands, mix together the meats and seasonings until all the meat is coated.
  • Grind the meat through a grinder using the medium plate (¼ inch holes). Place ground meat in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the beer and eggs, and using your hands again, mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. 24 hours is preferred.
  • Prepare the casings of your choice, hog or collagen, stuff into the casings and form into links with your preferred method. Place links into bags to freeze. Use as needed on the grill, or in recipes of your choice. I made 27 links.

Notes

I will price this next time I buy beef. I will say Low cost per serving right now.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: GERMAN,Beef - Sausage,Pork - Sausage
German Beets
September 25, 2018 Lee
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German Beets

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This sounds good, on my to cook list. You can cook the beets with your preferred way, I will use a pressure cooker.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine German
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 6-8 whole beets, medium size, cooked, Shortcut
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1⅓ cups water
  • ½ cup white vinegar

Instructions
 

  • To cook the beets, simply wash them, place in a large pot, cover with water, about 1-2 inches over and boil for 40-50 minutes. To preserve the color, add about 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook until tender, drain, cool, and peel. OR use a pressure cooker, which is what I use, that instruction is listed in the Recipe Notes section below.
  • Slice the beets, about ½ to ⅜ inch thick slices.
  • Mix the corn starch, sugar, salt, and pepper in a pot or large sauce pan, slowly whisk in the water then mix in the vinegar.
  • Heat on medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Keep stirring and boil for 1 minute.
  • Reduce heat to a simmer and add the beets. Simmer until the beets are heated through and hot.
  • Serve as a side dish and enjoy.

Notes

Shortcut: Fresh Beets (Pressure Cooker).
: GERMAN,SIDES
Sauerkraut
September 20, 2018 Lee
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Sauerkraut

Brian Colligan, Thailand.
This is a homemade recipe for sauerkraut provided by a good friend in Thailand that likes to make items from scratch. Very important to weigh/measure the main items used, the cabbage and salt. The use of a digital scale is important. This is a lacto-fermented item, meaning this ferments on your counter top. I look forward to making this!
This recipe requires exact measurements for the cabbage and salt, you need to follow this. The kilo to lb measurements are accurate for this.
If you start with 3 heads of cabbage, you can make this in a ½ gallon mason jar, this recipe is based on 3 heads of cabbage, cored and sliced, then weigh it and adjust the salt and seasonings based on that. If you need help with how to figure out the ratio of cabbage and salt accurately, please let me know and I will certainly help you.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Passive Time 7 days
Total Time 7 days 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German

Equipment

  • Mason Jar (½ gallon)

Ingredients
  

Basic Ingredients

  • 1 kilo cabage, start with 3 heads, (2.20 lb)
  • 20 grams salt, (4 teaspoons)

Additional, per 1 kilo (2.20 lb) of Cabbage

  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
  • ½ gallon mason jar, sterilized

Instructions
 

  • Cut each head of cabbage in half and then cut the core out. Then cut the two pieces into smaller sections to ease the slicing.
  • Thinly slice the cabbage to about ⅛ inch thick, the use of a mandolin would be perfect for uniform slices.
  • Place the cabbage in a large mixing bowl and add ¼ of the salt needed. Use your hands to mix the salt into the cabbage. Then add a ¼ more of the salt and mix in, repeat this 2 more times until all of the salt is mixed in. Set the bowl aside for 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minute, the cabbage will have wilted and reduced in volume and liquid accumulated in the bowl, perfectly normal.
  • Now sprinkle in the caraway seeds, mustard seeds, and garlic. Use your hands and mix together well. Once again, set aside for 30 minutes.
  • Now transfer the cabbage and liquid into the jar and allow at least 1 inch of space at the top of the jar. Making sure the cabbage is below the level of the liquid.
  • Cover the jar with cheesecloth and secure with a rubber band or string. Write down the date you do this. Leave the jar on your counter top, (away from any cats, cats like to push things off counters).
  • Check the jar each day to make sure the cabbage is covered with the liquid. If it is not, remove the cheesecloth and tamp down the cabbage. If additional brine is needed, mix 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon of salt and add that as needed.
  • Check the kraut each day for 7 days, adjusting as needed.
  • On the 7th day, sample the kraut, you should have good kraut now, use in other recipes as directed. If the taste is good, you can ferment longer for a stronger flavor.
  • You should now have ½ gallon of kraut.

Notes

Low cost.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,5 Ingredients or Less,: GERMAN
German Style Chicken Livers
September 14, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

German Style Chicken Livers

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This sounds good, the addition of the apples and apple juice is interesting. I made this on 27 Sep 2018, perfect. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams chicken livers, cut in half and cleaned, (1 lb)
  • 4 tablespoons clarified butter, divided, Shortcut
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • black pepper, to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme, or 1½ tsp fresh chopped
  • ¼ cup apple juice
  • dash light soy sauce, optional

Instructions
 

  • Add the flour, salt, and pepper as desired to a zip lock bag, and coat the liver with the flour. Set aside.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large non stick pan on medium heat. When hot, add the onion and apple slices. Cover and cook until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the pan, wipe clean and return to heat.
  • Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan, when hot, add the flour coated livers.
  • When they are browned on both sides, return the onion and apples to the pan and sprinkle in the thyme. Reduce heat
  • Give it a stir, cover for 2-3 minutes, then add the apple juice. Stir to coat everything in the sauce. If the mixture is too pale for your liking, add a dash of soy sauce.
  • Cook for 2 more minutes to reduce the liquid a bit.
  • Serve with cooked noodles, spätzle, mashed potatoes, or rice. Enjoy.
  • Or better yet, serve with Hot German Potato Salad.

Notes

Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Homemade Ghee (Clarified Butter).
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: GERMAN,Chicken - Giblets
Homemade Hot Dogs
August 30, 2018 Lee
1 Comment

Homemade Hot Dogs

Adapted from several internet recipes.
This was an experiment, and it turned out very well! I only used collagen casings and that was spot on, I am not a fan of hot dogs with a skin. These can be all beef, all pork, or a combination. For this first experiment, I made them as listed here, which is a combo of beef and pork. No food processor will be used, just ample use of my electric grinder and a mortar and pestle. Keeping the grinder and meats cold is essential. I used collagen casings which are removed after simmering in water. Feel free to use casings of your choice.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, German
Servings 16 6 inch hot dogs

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams lean pork, cubed, (1 lb)
  • 350 grams lean beef, cubed, (¾ lb)
  • 120 grams pork fat, cubed, (¼ lb)
  • ¼ cup onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground marjoram
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mace, or nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seed
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 1 egg white
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • sausage casings, your preference, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Place the onion, garlic, and mustard seed into a mortar. Feel free to use a food processor for this. The mortar we have is the granite type, weighs in at about 20 pounds. Need something mashed quick, use the granite mortars.
  • Pound to a sort of smooth paste.
  • Place the contents of the mortar into a mixing bowl then add the egg white, sugar, salt, coriander, marjoram, mace, paprika, white pepper, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Add the milk and mix that in well. Place seasoning mixture in the fridge while you continue.
  • Thoroughly wash, rinse, and dry the grinder parts that will have contact with the meat, the plate you are going to use is the fine plate, then place the parts (not the motor assembly) in the fridge to chill.
  • Cut the beef, pork, and fat, one at a time, into cubes that will fit into your grinder. As each item is cubed, place in the fridge to chill.
  • Assemble your grinder using the fine plate. Remove and grind the meats and fat separately, place all in a large mixing bowl. For this photo, I ground the beef first, visible a little on the left, then the fat, then the pork on top.
  • Using your clean hands or wearing gloves, mix the meats together, then mix in the seasoning mix, then mix in the liquid smoke.
  • Run the mixture through the grinder again. Place mixture in the fridge to chill. Now wash, rinse, and dry the grinder parts that had contact with the meat. When dried, place in the fridge as well.
  • When 30 minutes have passed, assemble the grinder again, and then, you guessed it, run the meat mixture through the grinder again, also using the fine plate. The mixture is pretty much a near paste now, which is desired.
  • Stuff the casings in your preferred way, using the grinder, a funnel, or sausage stuffer.
  • I measure out the collagen casings in 14 inch sections.
  • Lightly oil the stuffer tube for first use and thread the casing onto the tube, tie the end off with string, then puncture a hole right near the knot to let air escape when you start. Fill the casing to the end, after all casings are stuffed, tie a string at the 6 inch mark, no need to twist, just tie, then tie another at the 12 inch mark, cut off the tails of the strings and squeeze out the remaining sausage mix after where you tied it, put that back in the bowl with the sausage mixture. Repeat this using all the meat mixture. Leave the sausages in 12 inch lengths, do not cut them apart.
  • Heat a pot of water to simmering, when hot, place the links in the water for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the links and place in a large bowl or pot of ice water and allow the links to shock and chill, this stops the cooking.
  • Remove the links from the ice water
  • Cut off the opposite ends of the links, no need to cut the center, and squeeze out the hot dogs, place on a rack to cool further. There is only 15 here, I am the cook, I am allowed to try things. 🙂
  • Now the hot dogs are ready for use. You can store in the fridge (they are cooked) for up to 3-4 days, or freeze them for later use. To prepare them, just pan fry or grill, enjoy in a bun with your favorite sauces and toppings.
  • Fried.
  • Ready to be devoured, simple dish with spicy mustard and ketchup on one, regular mustard and ketchup on another one. Tasty!

Notes

I will price this when I prepare these. I will say Fair cost for now.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Fair Value $1.01 to $1.50 per Serving,: GERMAN,Beef - Sausage,Pork - Sausage
Fried Cabbage & Egg Noodles
June 9, 2018 Lee
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Fried Cabbage & Egg Noodles

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is German in origin, and is probably the reason fried cabbage is prevalent in the US, migrants bring their common dishes with them, then prepare them using ingredients from the local region. This is a simple dish with only four ingredients, and it is delicious.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish, Side
Cuisine German
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams egg noodles, (1 lb)
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 head cabbage, medium size, cored and chopped
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender, drain.
  • While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large non stick pan on low heat then add the cabbage and season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook the cabbage, turning often, until it starts to just turn brown.
  • Add the pasta to the pan and toss with the cabbage to mix. Cook until the pasta starts to turn brown, maybe 5 minutes, turning and mixing often.
  • Serve as a side dish. Enjoy.
#1 Go-To Recipes,5 Ingredients or Less,: GERMAN,PASTA,SIDES
Spätzle
February 13, 2018 Lee
3 Comments

Spätzle

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is a German dish, sort of a mix between a soft egg noodle and a dumpling, but not quite either one, cooked in simmering water or stock then fried. Commonly served with a meaty stew or gravy. I made this on 9 Mar 2018 and it is not only easy, it is exactly how how I remembered this from a German restaurant in Phuket, and it is excellent. Commonly written as spätzle, spatzle, and spaetzle. This is easily made by one person with a spätzle maker AND NOT a grater, that can result in a mess.
4 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Course Side
Cuisine German
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • spätzle maker (spätzlehobel)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 4 eggs, chicken or duck
  • ½ cup milk
  • butter, for frying
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • This is a typical spätzle maker, on the end opposite the handle is two tabs, these keep the maker attached to your cooking pot. The hopper slides back and forth on the flat part on the pot.
  • Here it is on my cooking pot. The tabs hold the flat plate on the pot so one hand can work the hopper and the other hand to pour the batter into the hopper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk to combine.
  • Beat the eggs. Add half the eggs and half of the milk to the flour mixture and mix, then add the remaining eggs and milk, and mix until smooth. The batter is thin, this is a perfect consistency.
  • Fill a medium sized pot half full with water or even chicken stock, Heat to simmering.
  • Pour the batter into a 2 cup or large measuring cup, when the water is simmering, simply attach the spätzle maker to the pot, use one hand to slide the hopper back and forth and the other hand to simply pour the batter into the hopper.
  • Let the spätzle cook until it floats to the top of the water, it is fast, use a large slotted spoon to remove and place them in ice water to cool them and then place in a colander to drain. Repeat with remaining dough. At this point, you can use the spätzle in soups if desired in place of egg noodles.
  • Once all the dough is cooked in the water, heat a large non stick skillet 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter, add the spätzle and fry, turning often, until starting to crisp up.
  • Serve as a side with a meaty dish. I cooked some stew beef in my pressure cooker and simply added that to a sauce pan of beef gravy, easy and perfect meal.

Notes

Low cost.
Variants: 1. Fry in bacon fat and 5-6 slices of chopped bacon. 2. Fry some onion and garlic until soft and the onion is softened, add the spätzle and mix in, then add 1-2 cups Swiss cheese, there, you just made Käsespätzle, the German version of mac and cheese.
Used in Recipe Listed on this Site:
#1 Go-To Recipes,: GERMAN,PASTA