These crunchy, little sauerkraut balls are a beloved appetizer in Akron, Ohio. Savory pork loin, salty ham, and zingy sauerkraut are blended together, shaped into spheres and deep fried until creamy inside and crunchy outside.
Goetta, Cincinnati’s signature meat-and-oat breakfast loaf, is called a sausage, but it’s really more of a meatloaf. In this version, pork, oats, and spices are cooked into a thick porridge and then cooled into a sliceable solid. Slices are then pan-fried until caramelized and crunchy on the outside and still creamy in the center.
Keep this easy shredded chicken sandwich recipe in your back pocket for potlucks, tailgates, and all other occasions that call for hearty sandwiches.
Defined by a slice of pork that’s pounded out until it’s as big as a dinner plate and fried until crispy, this oversized Midwestern breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is crunchy, tender, and incredibly satisfying.
This superb style of fried chicken, found in southeastern Indiana, relies on heavy use of black pepper. My version stays true to the fried chicken at Wagner’s Village Inn, a bar and restaurant in Oldenburg, Indiana, where the cooks use the old-school method of skillet-frying in lard.
While most Wisconsin butter burgers are simply topped with butter, here we double down and add it directly to the beef blend. Sirloin steak and a savory soy sauce–butter mix are ground together, portioned into patties, griddled, and topped with stewed onions and even more butter. Did we mention there’s a lot of butter here?
Turn a cheeseburger inside out and you get Minnesota’s Juicy Lucy, a beef patty with an ooey-gooey cheese center, nestled on a bun with pickles and griddled onions. Here’s how to guarantee a molten, melty cheese filling every time.
This squishy, snackable Iowa loose meat sandwich brings well-seasoned beef crumbles, onion, pickles, and mustard together on a bun, for an undeniable combination of classic Midwestern flavors.
Not your average meatballs, these Iowa ham balls are a regional favorite in which ham and ground pork are bound with buttery crackers and tangy buttermilk, then shaped and baked in a sticky sweet sauce.
Most North Dakotan grandmas seem to agree that this beloved soup should be simple and comforting, with little more than good chicken broth and handmade (not frozen!) dumplings.
