In this post, I’ll show you how to make your own Thuringian liverwurst. With a moderate amount of effort, you can achieve a super tasty result.
Thuringian liverwurst impresses with its spicy note and creamy consistency. It tastes particularly good on fresh farmhouse bread with mustard or gherkins, but also as a side dish with roast potatoes or sauerkraut.
If you love liverwurst, I also have other liverwurst recipes for you: classic liverwurst, my veal liverwurst, my Palatinate liverwurst and my apple and onion liverwurst.
Enough talk, let’s get started…
Here you can find the complete Thuringian liverwurst recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Thuringian liverwurst – What do you need to make it?
With the right ingredients, you can make Thuringian liverwurst in no time at all.
Ingredients per 1 kg
- 30 % streaky pork (300 g)
- 30 % pork cheek or dewlap (300 g)
- 25 % pork liver (250 g)
- 15 % onions (150 g)
Spices per KG mass
- 15.5 g salt
- 2.5 g cure #1
- 2 g black pepper
- 3.5 g black pepper
- 1 g allspice
- 1 g marjoram
- 0.5 g mace
The equipment to make Thuringian liverwurst
You need a meat grinder to “grind” the meat. The meat is chopped into small chunks and can then be mixed.
Food processor / Cutter
You need a cutter to get your mass fine and homogeneous. Alternatively, the whole thing can also be done with a food processor.
Artificial casing / Jar / Can
You can fill the sausage into jars as well as artificial casings. For jars, I usually use ones from the Weck company. For artificial casings I recommend artificial casings caliber 45/25 for a smaller diameter and artificial casings caliber 60/25 for a slightly wider one.
Thuringian liverwurst – Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these steps and you will prepare the perfect Thuringian liverwurst
1. Cut the meat and fat into pieces suitable for mincing and put the pieces of meat into a sealable plastic bag or vacuum seal them.
Note: If you vacuum seal the pieces of meat / put them in a plastic bag, you won’t lose any liquid into the water and you won’t need any cooking stock for the sausage afterwards, as all the liquid will remain in the vacuum bag with the fat and liquid that escapes. (If you want to cook your meat without plastic, I will explain how it works and what to look out for in the next step)
2. Now place the bag in the tempered water or in the sous vide cooker and cook the meat at 78 degrees (172.4°F) for 90 minutes.
How do I cook the meat without a sous vide stick and bag?
No problem. You need to weigh the meat once before cooking. Then weigh the meat again after cooking and note how much liquid the meat has lost. You can add this missing liquid back later. You can use the stock water in which you cooked your meat.
3. Cut the liver into pieces.
4. Chop the onions and fry them slowly over a low to medium heat for about 10 minutes.
5. Depending on how coarse you want the liverwurst, you can use the small or medium perforated disk.
Book recommendation: The Full Guide On Making Sausages Easily At Home – Step-by-step instructions & 37 delicious recipes
6. Once the pieces of meat are cooked and cooled, you can separate the juices from the meat.
7. Put the liver and onions through the grinder first. Once this has passed through, you can put the meat through. I personally use the finest perforated disk.
Optional: If you want to soften the flavor of the liver, you can poach it for approx. 5 minutes before mincing. This will soften the strong flavor of the liver.
8. Then add the spices to the minced mixture and mix everything together. You can use a food processor or a cutter for this.
9. You can now fill the mixture into jars or casings. Make sure that the mixture is tight and that there are no air holes in the jars. When filling the jars, it is best to leave at least a fingertip of space so that the liverwurst can expand during cooking and does not overflow.
10. Now you have to cook the liverwurst at 100 °C (212 °F) for 2 hours. If you want to use a casing, you can scald it at 80 °C (176 °F). The time depends on the diameter of the caliber used. Means: If you use caliber 45, then you scald the liver sausage approx. 45 minutes.
11. Your Thuringian liverwurst is ready 😄. Enjoy it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shelf life of your Thuringian liverwurst?
In theory, Thuringian liverwurst can be kept indefinitely in a jar or tin. It is best to store the liverwurst in a cool, dark place. When opening, the following applies: Look, smell, taste! If you use a casing, you should store the liverwurst in the refrigerator and consume it within a maximum of 10 days.
Can I make Thuringian liverwurst without casing?
Yes, you can simply fill it into jars and boil it down. This even extends the shelf life and makes storage easier.
Why is my liverwurst too firm or too soft?
Liverwurst that is too firm is often the result of too little fat or too long a cooking time. If it is too soft, too much liquid may have been added or it may not have been cooked long enough. You can achieve a creamy consistency by chopping the mixture after mincing.
Which spices give it its typical taste?
The most important spice is marjoram. Salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice also provide the classic seasoning. Some recipes also use a hint of garlic or cinnamon for a special touch.
Can Thuringian liverwurst be eaten raw?
No, Thuringian liverwurst is always cooked. Raw liver can contain pathogens, so it should always be heated before eating. and sauerkraut.