German Falscher Hase (Special Meatloaf)

Written by
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
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Jennifer McGavin
Updated 07/06/19
German meatloaf
cislander/E+/Getty Images
  • Total: 75 mins
  • Prep: 30 mins
  • Cook: 45 mins
  • Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
574 Calories
33g Fat
18g Carbs
49g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 574
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 33g 42%
Saturated Fat 12g 61%
Cholesterol 502mg 167%
Sodium 584mg 25%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Protein 49g
Calcium 162mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Falscher hase came into prominence after World War II when meat was still scarce but German housewives wanted to put a special dish on the Sunday table.

Ingenious cooks mixed together chopped meats, wrapped them around hard-cooked eggs, shaped the mixture into a meatloaf reminiscent of a rabbit (a highly prized meat in Germany) and "roasted" it.

Bacon ​or speck spikes the flavor, as does parsley, mustard, Hungarian paprika, and sour cream.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef round (or half ground round and half lean pork)
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (divided)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • 3 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
  • 3 hard-cooked eggs (peeled)
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup water (hot)
  • 1/4 cup water (cold)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (low-fat is not recommended)
  • Optional: black pepper to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the meat, onion, 3 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs, the 2 raw eggs, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard, and parsley.

  2. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs on a cutting board and flatten the meat mixture into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.

  3. Arrange the whole, hard-cooked eggs in a row down the middle. Fold the sides of the meat patty over the eggs. Form the meat into a nice, free-form loaf shape. Coat liberally with breadcrumbs.

  4. Heat oven to 350 F.

  5. Chop 2 strips of bacon into small pieces and brown in a Dutch oven on the stove. Remove bacon pieces and set aside. Brown the meatloaf on all sides in the bacon grease.

  6. Lay the remaining strips of bacon over the meatloaf, pour 1/2 cup beef broth into the pan and place the Dutch oven in the heated oven. Bake, basting occasionally with the remaining 1/2 cup broth for about 45 minutes. Remove meatloaf to a serving platter, cover with aluminum foil and keep warm.

  7. Place Dutch oven back on stovetop and add 1/4 cup of hot water. Scrape all browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

  8. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water and add to pan. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat and stir in sour cream. Try not to boil after the sour cream has been added.

  9. Season with optional pepper and reserved bacon bits. Taste before adding more salt.

  10. Serve meatloaf with boiled, parsley potatoes, and steamed green beans.