Liverwurst

[larryfoster]

60 years ago, when we butchered pigs, my mom always made "liverwurst" and it was delicious.
For years I've been looking for the recipe and can't find it.
Maybe someone here can help?

I remember they cleaned the head up and boiled it for the meat.
I suspect there was some organ meat, (possibly liver?) and who knows what else.
It was all boiled and ground up and put in loaf pans to cool and form.
There were onions but can't remember if they were put in the loaf or to the skillet when fried

I think the water from cooking the meat was then used to make scrapple.

I've tried some Amish stuff and it's sort of close.
Just not quite the same
If anyone has an idea what I'm talking about, I'd really appreciate it

 

[pit of despair]

Larry,
Sounds like hog headcheese, or brawn. Pleanty of how to videos on the web, finding a recipe you like will take some experimenting. I made a loaf several years ago, goes good with pickled vegetables.
Good luck!
Teddy

 

[larryfoster]

Thanks for the reply.
I've seen head cheese and it doesn't look the same.
It may be.
Mom's liverwurst was a fine grind

I know the description is sketchy making it difficult to figure out what I'm talking about.

 

[atomicsmoke]

I make organ sausage often. I use heart, liver, kidneys, tongue...but you could go just with liver for a liverwurst. These sausages call for fat and some meat - i am assuming that's why you remember the head being used, as it has both.
You could just use a fatty cut (belly) instead.
The liver, meat and fat are cooked. If you use backfat cut it up and render some. It will add a nice crunch and flavour.
Onions are sauted.
Mix onion with the meats/liver/fat. Nutmeg or all spice (or both if you like).
Poach after stuffing.

Here is my organ sausage (with rice)

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/yet-another-organ-sausage.273491/

And another one (also shows a headcheese being made)
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/no-christmas-without-headcheese-and-organ-sausage.270767/

 

[larryfoster]

Thanks for the recipe and tips.
My mom didn't stuff but put in bread/loaf pans

 

[atomicsmoke]

Thanks for the recipe and tips.
My mom didn't stuff but put in bread/loaf pans

That'd work too. You need to freeze it though...does not keep long in the fridge.

 

[larryfoster]

I remember we did freeze it.
Checked out the thread you put above.
Looks pretty good

 

[atomicsmoke]

I did once canned liver pate...similar ingredient list. But i kept it in the fridge since the book says canning organs is not recommended. Was good. Keeps longer in the fridge.

 

[smokerjim]

We used to make a liver spread in loaf pans, I will have to see if I can find recipe, I know pork liver and fat, with seasonings baked in loaf pans, if I find recipe I will post it, but it sort of sounds like what your describing.

 

[larryfoster]

Thanks, Jim.
Looking forward to your recipe

 

[zwiller]

No recipes but just adding some info to add braunschweiger and leberwurst to research list. In my experience "liverwurst" is more bland but braunschweiger more tasty.

https://recipegoldmine.com/worldgerman/braunschweiger.html

 

[larryfoster]

Thanks, zwiller.
I don't think braunschweiger is what I'm looking for but will check out your spelling for leberwurst and see what that brings.

Many, many years ago, I was far away from home in Cincinnati and had an urge for some liverwurst.
Cincinnati is an old German town and they had a fantastic farmer's market downtown.

Asked every vendor for liverwurst and all they had was braunschweiger.

If I could find mom's old cookbook that's tucked away, somewhere, she may have her recipe written down.
It's my life's mission to re-create this.
:rolleyes:

 

[chef jimmyj]

Here is my understanding of using up those parts of the pig that is not a roast, chops or sausage...Liverwurst is typically raw, liver, meat, fat and seasonings, ground super fine and emulsified into a pink paste. It is tubed and poached. The result looks like a fat hot dog or small 3 inch bologna, but is spreadable. If this liverwurst is Smoked you have Braunschweiger.
In contrast, cooking the head, offal, any bones containing scraps of meat and sometimes skin, with onions, garlic, thyme and other spices. Results in pile of cooked meat and a highly gelatinous broth. That meat has to be separated from bone and cartilage. Kept in large chunks and panned with broth until set, results in Head Cheese. If the meat is ground fine, but not emulsified then one of two product are made. The first is the ground meat is mixed with just enough Broth to give a slurry the consistency of mud or concrete . This is panned and sets firm enough to slice but breaks up when heated. In Amish Country PA it is called Pudding but names vary by region and state . The second product is the ground meat with a large amount of Broth, looks like soup, is re-boiled with corn meal until again thick as mud and panned to set firm. In PA and surrounding states, this is Scrapple. I have never heard of Liverwurst being made from cooked pork and broth...JJ

 

[larryfoster]

Thanks for that detail.

We made scrapple after the "liverwurst" in the water that the meat was cooked in.

I put liverwurst in " " because that's what we called it.
It may have another name elsewhere.
Your description of "pudding" sounds a little like what I'm talking about.

My memory is a little vague because it's been almost 60 years since I saw it.
It's one of those things I wish I had paid more attention to.

I'm only assuming the organs were used because I don't remember doing anything else with the heart and kidneys.
The only things I'm certain of are that the head was used, we put it in loaf pans and fried it.
It crumbled apart and, when fried, had the consistency of a fine ground hamburger.

 

[chef jimmyj]

That is it. Innards could be hidden from the kids in a tasty breakfast meat. The head is LOADED with gelatin so the reason it is used for head cheese and it's variations like your Liverwurst. Funny how the old folks had there own names for stuff. My maternal grandmother called green bell peppers Mangoes. I found this out when dad had made Chinese Pepper Steak. I was dishing some up and grandma ask for more, extra Mangoes. I gave Dad a puzzled looks he smiled and said, " more peppers "...JJ

 

[chef jimmyj]

If you are interested in making this, you need to remember more about the flavor. At the basic end is Onion., Thyme, Bay Leaf, S&P and Allspice. Additions/substitutions include Sage, Nutmeg, Clove and Ground Ginger. The Onion does get ground in. This can be made without the head using a combination of Liver, Pork Butt and Pigs Feet. There is also using Liver, Pork Butt and sheet or powdered unflavored Gelatin. I would have to research how much to use...JJ

 

[larryfoster]

I don't recall my parents using many spices with anything.
I would bet that salt and pepper were the extent of it with no way of knowing for sure.

Thanks for sticking with me on this

 

[chef jimmyj]

If you go for it, the Onion, S&P, Thyme and/or Sage with a bit of Allspice, think your average Breakfast Sausage flavor profile, will make some great Liver Pudding, even if not exactly Mom's Liverwurst. There had to be some herbs and spice to mellow the liver flavor. JJ

 

[larryfoster]

I'll have to see if I can come up with a pig to butcher

 

[chef jimmyj]

That will make life easy! Good luck. Look for area slaughter houses. They nearly give away livers, feet and heads...JJ