German Meat Fondue With Broth (Fleischfondue)

German Meat Fondue With Broth (Fleischfondue)

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 servings

This German meat fondue (or fleischfondue) is cooked in hot broth instead of hot oil, which is delicious and lower in fat, which many people prefer.

Because broth boils at 212 F/100 C, the meat will take longer to cook, but that only enhances the party experience. Be sure to serve a green salad and some fresh bread or a baguette to shorten the wait.

Ingredients

For the Broth:

  • 1 large onion, peeled and halved

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped leeks

  • 3 to 4 medium carrots, cut into chunks

  • 4 ounces celeriac, or 3 ribs coarsely chopped celery

  • 1 large bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

  • 1 1/2 quarts vegetable stock, or broth

For the Meat:

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin, or boneless pork chops

  • 1 pound mixed ground meat (1/2 pound pork, 1/2 pound beef)

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 slices white bread, cut into breadcrumbs

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Ground paprika, to taste

  • 3/4 pound cocktail sausages

For the Vegetables:

  • 1 pound cauliflower

  • 1 pound zucchini

For Sauce 1:

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped chives

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Sweet paprika, to taste

  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste, optional

For Sauce 2:

  • 1 cup schmand, or crème fraîche

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Broth

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Broth ingredients for German meat fondue

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a large saucepan, brown the cut surface of the onion without oil.

    Onion in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Add the leeks, carrots, celeriac, bay leaf, peppercorns, and broth.

    Add the leeks, carrots, celeriac, bay leaf, peppercorns, and broth to the onion in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Bring everything to a simmer and cook for at least 15 minutes.

    Broth simmering in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. When it is time to eat, strain the broth into a fondue pot and place it on the table over the heat source for your fondue.

    Strained broth in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prepare the Meat and Vegetables

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Meat and vegetable ingredients for German meat fondue

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. While the broth is simmering, cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.

    Pork cut into pieces

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Mix the ground meat with the egg and breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and paprika.

    Ground meat, egg and breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and paprika in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Form the meat mixture into bite-sized meatballs and place in the refrigerator until serving time.

    Raw meatballs on a plate

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Cut the cocktail sausages into 1-inch lengths and place in a serving dish.

    Sausages cut into pieces

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Clean and separate the cauliflower into bite-sized chunks.

    Clean and separate the cauliflower

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Cut the zucchini into quarters, lengthwise, then into 1-inch pieces.

    Zucchini cut into pieces

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Place in separate serving dishes. Keep everything covered and cool until ready to eat.

    Cauliflower and zucchini pieces in bowls

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prepare Sauce 1

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sauce ingredients for German meat fondue

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Chop about 1/4 cup chives into small rings and place in a bowl with the sour cream.

    Sour cream and chives in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Add salt, pepper, paprika, and optional lemon juice to taste.

    Add salt, pepper, paprika, and optional lemon juice to the sour cream mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Prepare Sauce 2

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sauce ingredients for German meat fondue

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a small bowl, mix together schmand or crème fraîche, chopped parsley, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.

    Mix together schmand or crème fraîche, chopped parsley, and mustard

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Setting Up the Fondue

  1. Place the fondue pot filled with broth on the warmer (rechaud) in the middle of the table. Each person should have their own fondue fork. Place the serving dishes with the food on the table and let everyone pass them and place some meat and vegetables on their plate.

    German meat fondue with broth (fleischfondue) ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Each person places 1 or 2 pieces of food on a fondue fork and dips it in the simmering broth. After 2 or more minutes, the tidbits are done. They are removed from the fork to the plate, and new tidbits are placed on the fondue fork. Serve with the 2 dipping sauces, as desired.

    Dipping meat into the broth

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tip

  • Many different combinations are possible. Some people like to drink the broth after the food has finished cooking. One suggestion is to scramble two eggs and swirl them into the broth (like egg drop soup) and then serve it hot to the guests.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1074 Calories
62g Fat
29g Carbs
97g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 1074
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 62g 80%
Saturated Fat 28g 140%
Cholesterol 364mg 121%
Sodium 1640mg 71%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 97g
Vitamin C 52mg 262%
Calcium 188mg 14%
Iron 8mg 42%
Potassium 2210mg 47%
*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.)

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