Livermush Sandwich
Follow our complete, step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe to fry up your own Livermush Sandwich. Top it with our Sandwich House Chili recipe and enjoy this Western North Carolina Favorite. Chili recipe, and sandwich assembly instructions provided. Printable recipe included.
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Livermush Sandwich with our Sandwich House Chili recipe.
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I realize that sometimes I post some recipes that you might not ever even consider trying. Still, I go through the process of taking the photos and making the step-by-step instructions, thinking that maybe “someone” will one day want to give it a try.
Chances are, unless you’re from Western North Carolina, or some place nearby, you’ve never even heard of Livermush. I fully understand.
Did you know that North Carolina actually has a couple of Livermush Festivals each year? It’s true, and they’re mostly in the western part of the state, but that should give you an idea of how popular Livermush is in our part of the country.
Livermush is similar to Liver Pudding.
Wait, you haven’t heard of Liver Pudding either? Smile. Let’s see if we can fix that.
Livermush and Liver Pudding are very similar in ingredients. They’re made from Pork Livers, pork broth, and generally meat taken from the head of the pig. Sage and black pepper are used for spices and once it’s cooked down fairly good, cornmeal is added to it as a binder.
Next, it’s baked and packed for serving. Thus, it’s pre-cooked so you can even eat it cold if you like.
I’ve enjoyed Liver Pudding for most of my life. It’s an acquired taste, but every once in awhile I’ll see it in the grocery store and a package of it ends up coming home with me. As for the Livermush, it’s not that readily available here in the heart of North Carolina so I hadn’t tried it until recently.
Livermush contains a bit more cornmeal than Liver Pudding, which makes it a bit more coarse in texture. Either can be eaten at breakfast, lunch or dinner. I generally just put a slice of Liver Pudding between bread and make it into a sandwich topped with a little bit of Duke’s Mayonnaise.
I hope you might consider giving it a try sometime. It’s taste will probably surprise you. It’s kinda like one of those White Castle burgers as I recall.
If you’re ready for a new adventure, then let’s head to the kitchen, and… Let’s Get Cooking.
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You’ll need some Livermush of course.
In case you can’t read the ingredients on the package in the photo, it says Livermush is made with Pork Broth, Pork Livers, Cornmeal and generally pepper and sage for the spices.
It’s a western North Carolina favorite, but if you can’t find it, Liver Pudding will work just as well.
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This would be Liver Pudding. Very similar to Livermush, but more readily available in the Piedmont and Eastern parts of North Carolina.
Neese’s makes both, but there are a few other companies around Shelby, North Carolina that also produce Livermush.
And, due to the greatness of this thing called the Internet, you can actually order BOTH of these products online. Neese’s Products
They don’t know me, but I have to support the Neese’s brand. They’ve been used by my family for years. Besides, they’re just up the road from me as all their products are made in Greensboro, NC. We’re practically neighbors. Smile.
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Brooks Sandwich House in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This is where I tried my first Livermush Sandwich in January of 2018. You might also enjoy the video about the twin brothers who own and operate the Sandwich House. You can view their YouTube video by clicking HERE.
They’re known for their Chili and have won numerous awards for it. They also sell it in one pound tubs for you to take home. I bought a tub so I could delve a bit more into trying to figure out why folks seem to like it so much.
I’m not calling the recipe below a Brooks Sandwich House copycat recipe as their recipe is a secret known only between the twin brothers.
One thing I noticed about the chili is that it didn’t appear to have any type of ketchup, tomato paste or tomato sauce in it. I also thought it was a bit on the salty side with just a tinge of heat.
This is not my recipe for my favorite hot dog chili, but I think it turned out pretty good, and is my interpretation of what you might find at Brooks.
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Sandwich House Chili recipe, you’ll need these ingredients.
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We’ll start by mixing up our spice seasonings first.
Place the salt and sugar in a small bowl.
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Add the chili powder.
For the record, I’m using a McCormick Hot Mexican Chili Powder, which has a little more heat than your regular chili powder. It just happened to be what I had on hand, but I liked the taste of it when I tried the finished chili.
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Add the black pepper.
Stir all the spices together and just set this aside for now. We’ll use it shortly.
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Grab a medium sized saucepot and add the sausage and the ground beef.
I’m using Neese’s Country Sausage and about a 80/20 mixture of Ground Beef.
And, I’m only using a half pound of each.
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Add the apple cider vinegar.
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Add enough water to fully cover the meat and then some. I used six cups which practically filled my saucepot. I start out with a good amount of water because I want to simmer the meat for awhile and let the water make a nice broth.
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Don’t be shy, just plunge your hand right in the pot and crumble the meat up.
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Bring the pot to a slight boil over Medium Heat on your stove top. I let mine cook uncovered because I want to reduce the water down as it cooks.
I let it cook for about an hour and 20 minutes, stirring it occasionally to make sure all the water doesn’t simmer away.
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When most of the water has simmered out, add the spice mixture to the sauce pot.
Note that the water is just above the top of the meat mixture. I want it to still continue to simmer with the spices so the flavors can meld together.
If you add the spices at the beginning, most of them will just cling to the sides of the pot as the water reduces down. At this point, the water is just covering the meat so the spices will mix in more evenly.
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Stir the chili and let it cook down for about 30 more minutes. I prefer a somewhat moist chili but you can let yours cook down as desired. Should it get too thick, just add a teaspoon full of water or so.
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Here’s a comparison of the two chili mixtures side by side.
The Brooks Sandwich House chili is on the right. It’s a bit more on the lumpy side which is the way I like my hot dog chili to be. I guess it’s just a North Carolina thing.
My chili is on the left. It crumbled up really easy when I added the water and came out a bit more on the fine side.
I know you can’t tell anything about how they taste from the photo, but I think I gave it a good effort and came up with something that was similar but still different than the typical chili I would make for hot dogs here at home.
I don’t say hamburgers, but you would use it on them as well. It’s a long story, but I haven’t had a hamburger since about 2009. I love them, just gave them up and haven’t had one since.
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Now, let’s slice up some Livermush and put this sandwich together.
You’ll need to slice it about a half inch thick.
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Place a couple of slices in a skillet.
Both the Livermush and Liver Pudding are already cooked. We’re just going to give the outside a little bit of a crust and warm it up on the inside.
You’ll note I didn’t add any type of oil to the pan. And, since there is very little fat in the mush/pudding, it’s not going to make any of it’s own either.
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Fry the meat on Medium Heat for about 2 minutes on each side, flipping as needed.
You don’t want it to burn, so don’t be afraid to flip it early. You can always flip it again until you get it browned to your personal liking. Just a little crust on the outside, still soft in the middle.
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While the meat is heating up, go ahead and dice up the onion.
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Now, let’s assemble our sandwich.
Place the lightly browned meat on a hamburger bun or white bread.
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Spread a layer of yellow mustard over the top.
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Add some onions.
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Then, add a spoonful or two of chili. Don’t be shy, it’s better when it’s a little messy. Smile.
Add the top portion of the bun, and you’re ready to dig in.
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Enjoy!
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Livermush Sandwich
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: Varies
- Category: Sandwiches
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Follow our complete, step-by-step, photo illustrated recipe to fry up your own Livermush Sandwich. Top it with our Sandwich House Chili recipe and enjoy this Western North Carolina Favorite. Chili recipe, and sandwich assembly instructions provided.
Ingredients
Sandwich House Chili
- ½ lb Ground Beef 80/20
- ½ lb Country Sausage
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Place salt in a small mixing bowl.
Add sugar.
Add chili powder.
Add black pepper.
Mix spices together. Set aside for now.
Place sausage and ground beef in a medium sauce pot.
Add the apple cider vinegar.
Add 6 cups water.
Use your hand to break up the sausage and beef in the pot.
Place saucepot over Medium heat on your stove top.
Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally until mixture reduces.
Add the spice mixture. Stir well.
Simmer for about 30 more minutes until chili reaches desired consistency.
Slice the livermush into slices about ½ inch thick.
Place a couple of slices in a skillet over medium heat on your stovetop.
The livermush is already cooked, but just warm it up a bit and let it brown on the outside.
Assemble your sandwich by placing a slice of warm livermush on a slice of bread or bun.
Add a layer of mustard.
Add some chopped onions.
Add a spoonful of the chili. Top with another slice of bread or the bun top.
Enjoy!
Keywords: Livermush Sandwich Recipe, livermush, liver pudding, Neese's Sausage, Brooks Sandwich House Chili
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Your Comments: Have you ever even heard of Livermush? How about Liver Pudding? Have you ever tried either one? I’d love to hear your thoughts on our recipe. It will only take a minute or two for you to leave your comments in the section below.
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Be Blessed!!!
Steve
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Category: Sandwiches
Well I for one have always been a liver pudding fan Or liver mush…whichever you prefer. Neese’s is the best ! Just had it this morning on rye toast. BUT.. nothing or nobody beats Brooks for hotdogs, hamburgers, liver mush and OMG their chili! Having hotdogs tonight since we can’t leave the house and was looking for a Brooks chili recipe. Making it as I type. Thank you so much and I’m super excited about trying this tonight!
Hi Jenny, No doubt about it, Neese’s is the best. I’m glad we agree on that. Smile. I hope your chili turned out well for you. Keep in mind it was my interpretation of what they make, and not actually their recipe. I liked it though, and I hope you will. Seems to me that I heard where one of the brothers had passed away. That was sad to hear. I never met them, but did enjoy the sandwich that I picked up from there. I do hope you’ll share your comments on the chili. I appreciate your visit and hope you’ll visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
wanted to know how to make LiverMush Not CHILI
Hi Bobby, I’m sorry to disappoint you. It does say “sandwich” though. I’ve never made the actual Livermush myself and this was the first time I’d even tried it. Just wanted to share the experience. I hope you can find a good recipe. Let me know how it turns out for you. I appreciate your visit and do hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I love Neese’s liver pudding! My father used to eat it cold on a sandwich when I was a child. I would not touchbit as as child because just the word liver turned me away! As an adult however, I tried it just like Daddy made his. Sliced cold with plenty of Dukes Mayo (it is a sin to use any other) on the bread. It is a cool summertime treat! My papa used to keep a hog head in the back porch fridge to make hog head cheese. When we went to visit, I would open that fridge to get the pitcher of grape koolaid out and there would be a hog head staring back at me! I could never eat that! I never watched them killing hogs, but I sure had plenty of experience killing & dressing chickens! They grew pullets. 36,000 of them every 9 weeks. Nothing tastier than a “fresh” fried chicken, home grown vegetables & & granny’s lard biscuits for sunday dinner.
★★★★★
Hi Kathy, I’m happy to hear you finally got up the nerve to try some Liver Pudding. I know it’s an acquired taste, but I do enjoy some ever so often. And yes, it makes a great sandwich with the Duke’s Mayo. Smile. Sounds like you had an interesting childhood being around all those chickens. That’s a lot! When we order a whole hog to cook for barbecue, we have the option of keeping the head or not. I brought one home one time, but never ended up using it. I’m not sure how a recipe for head cheese would go over here on Taste of Southern. But, it’s just a part of the way we were raised, and folks still do it all the time. It’s stuff city folks know nothing about for the most part. And, wasn’t cold Kool-Aid a real treat? Such memories. Thank you for sharing. I do appreciate you taking the time to write and for visiting with us today. I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve, Yes I am a “city folk” as you say. I live in New York City. You would be surprised how many restaurants and shops are now doing and learning the “southern way” up north. New York, Chicago and many other places are bringing the Southern ways and traditions to the forefront. love reading your -tasteofsouthern- after all… my father is from South Carolina. Many people up north do have southern relatives. So, there you have it! Looking forward to the next tasteofsouthern.
Hi Dave, Thank you for sharing the comments. I’m glad to hear we’re finally invading the North with some good food. Smile. Thank you for being a subscriber to the Newsletters, I appreciate all of your support. I also appreciate your visit and trust you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
You should probably let people know that Neese’s charges $168 for shipping….
Hi Lane,
I’m not sure about the price you mention. Their website states a flat rate fee of 21.00 for many of their items. You didn’t say where you’re trying to get their products delivered to which could play a big part in shipping. Thank you for the information though. I do appreciate your visit and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve, Just checking out the Livermush Sandwich recipe, which sounds good, but noticed that the printed version doesn’t mention the addition of the Apple Cider Vinegar, not how to assemble the sandwich.
Just love all your recipes, so many of them, even though traditional Southern States, are really similar to what I grew up on in the second world war and post war years in rural Norfolk, England!
Hi Dorothy, Thank you for pointing that out. I’ve made the changes and added the instructions on how to assemble the sandwich into the printed version. I guess I just didn’t think about that when I did the recipe. Smile. I really do enjoy your memories of England. I’ve never been, but I’d like to. I bet it’s a beautiful place. Thank you again for sharing your comments. I do hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
The best livermush sandwich I’ve had has a little mustard, a little onion and slaw. Everyone turned up their nose at that, but after they tasted it, it is always fun to watch their eyes get wide and smile with surprised approval. Now they all always eat it like if eating a livermush sandwich!
Hi Steve,
I live in Weddington, NC (southeast of Charlotte) but grew up across the pond in SC. When I was young hog killing was a family deal. Everyone helped out. I remember one hog hanging in the air while it bled out that was ten feet tall (well for a little girl it seemed that big). My grandfather and sons would hoist the hog up by it’s hind legs, slit it’s throat and let it bleed out. That is one of my vivid memories from my childhood along with helping with harvesting the grain and raising food.
I’ve been reading your newsletter for several years now and thoroughly enjoy it each week. A lot of the things and recipes you mention are very familiar to me. I love liver mush/pudding sandwiches with mayo, mustard, cheese and tomato. You can’t have a better breakfast unless it would be a country ham biscuit. The only problem with country ham is it doesn’t taste near as good as the ones Daddy cured in salt. I don’t know if he put anything else on them but they stayed in the salt box (wooden box with a lid) wrapped in newspaper and cloth for at least six or eight weeks (I think). I wish I knew what Mother put in her sausage and liver mush she made at hog killing time. One dish she only made at hog killing time was tenderloin fried and then cooked in gravy (You wouldn’t know how to make that would you? Smile.
I’m making myself hungry just thinking about Mother’s cooking. Funny thing though she didn’t even know how to cook when they got married. Daddy’s mom taught her. At least she learned how to cook the way Daddy liked to eat. Smile
NO ONE made a better pie crust than her (hers were really thin) and I always ate it. I usually eat the pie and leave the crust now a days because they are so thick (saves calories). Smile.
Like you say – I’ll let you get busy I’ve kept you long enough.
Until next week – Ann-
Hi Ann, Thank you for sharing your memories with us. Most folks have no idea what goes on with “hog killing” time. I hope to clue some of them in one day. It’s just a natural part of the process, and if you love bacon, you should know where it comes from and how you get it. Right?
So many of the old way of doing things and traditions are being lost. I hope to keep a few of them alive with the recipes here on Taste of Southern.
I’ve got a couple of tenderloin recipes online, but not one with gravy. I’ll try to work on that as I love tenderloin myself.
I appreciate your visits and hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I had never heard of liver mush or liver pudding before, but I was intrigued by your descriptions and recipe. I will look for it in my Daingefield, TX grocery stores and give it a try. I love your Monday newsletters and look forward to your stories. Sorry you lost a fishing buddy.
Lferguson
Hi Steve,I remember something that looked like livermush,it was made from the hogs head.My mom called it press meat or souse meat.{could it be the same thing just a different name?}anyway I never tasted it.I think it is a great idea for you to post these type recipes,{It is becoming a lost art}someone may want to make their own someday.I do not think you’re newsletters are to long.I look forward to them,also you’re recipes.I have made a lot of you’re recipes.Thanks for all you do in sharing.Have a wonderful week.
Hi Doris, Thank you for your very nice comments and compliments. I’m very happy you have subscribed to our Newsletters. The same company that makes the liver pudding and livermush also produces a souse meat product. They are not the same in flavor or texture though. Souse meat has a bit of gelatin in it and is best enjoyed with a splash of vinegar. I’ve tried it several times, but just haven’t developed a taste for it yet. I’m thankful for your support of our recipes, and truly appreciate your visits. I hope you’ll stop by often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
I’ve never heard of livermush; however, I know all about liver pudding. Growing up in N. C., we killed hogs in the fall. My Mama made liver pudding every time. I think she ground up the liver and mixed in corn meal and seasonings, then stuffed it into a casing made from – you guessed it – the hog’s intestine, which my sister and I had cleaned out really good. Ugh! I wasn’t old enough at the time to say that, and we were so poor we would eat whatever was put on our plates – all eight of us kids. I think she only used liver for that. The “stuff” from the hog’s headt
was made into “hogsheads cheese” but I don’t what all she put into that. I just know it sounds gross nowadays. By the time I reached high school, we no longer had hogs. (We were a little more prosperous I guess from growing our allotment of tobacco. ). So my memories of hog killing go way back, like 60 or 70 years. I’ve heard that what we called “hogsheads cheese” is now called “Philadelphia Scrapple”. Do you know if this is true? I enjoyed your newsletter today and I wish you good health and happy fishing. My Mama loved to fish. Daddy didn’t. Be Blessed.
Hi Shirley, You have truly experienced the great days of hog killing time if you have been tasked with cleaning out the intestines. Smile. I’m afraid I can’t help with the hogshead cheese vs Philadelphia Scrapple question. It seems there are many similar types of recipes around the country with each region having their own name for such. I guess it just depends on what you grew up on. I’m thankful you receive our Newsletters and appreciate all of your support. I hope you’ll continue to visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Well, I had to smile when I first saw your mention of livermush. I believe the only time I’ve ever heard of it before is in the Jan Karon series of books about Mitford. I’ve read most of them and am just now finishing “To Be Where You Are”, which I think is the most recent book. One day this week I plan to visit the half-price book store and buy some old ones to read again.
ANYWAY, I love liver and onions. And liverwurst and mustard sandwiches. Have never had livermush. But will consider it. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my Lexington, Ky. grocery store, but now I’m going to keep an eye out for it! ☺️
I’ve heard of liver mush. In the Shenandoah valley of Virginia they have Pon Hass which is real similar but has more bits and pieces of the hog and less liver.You make it with the head and other odds and ends leftover from butchering.
Its really good.
Love fried liver pudding with scrambled eggs for breakfast
I grew up in South Carolina. Whenever I get the chance to go back down I pick up an ample supply of Liver Pudding! Nothing is better! I actually recently found my ‘stash’ when cleaning out my chest freezer.
Here, in the north where I’ve lived for 40 plus years, Scrapple is their thing and I just can’t do that!
Good Morning Steve,
It is another chilly rainy Monday morning in Mint Hill, NC after such a beautiful, sunny Sunday. Livermush, that is something that my husband grew up eating, got me to cook it for him during our first year of marriage, but I dislike it so much, he quit asking for it. Now it is something he says he would never eat again. I understand that in this area, it is quite popular. I do think your chili recipe sounds great though. My husband won’t eat hot dogs, but he substitutes chili as his hot dog with slaw and onions, mustard. Your chili sounds like something we would love. Never thought of cooking the meat in water before. I will give this a try. Thanks for your Newsletter, it wasn’t too long at all, very interesting. Love to read them every week. Have a great day.
Chuckled reading your livermush tale. First heard of it in the Father Tim novels by Jan Karon. Setting is the western side of NC edge of Tenn. A character, Uncle Billie, ate livermush sandwiches. Now, is it somewhat like liver wurst or bronsweiger (so?) ? I have always been a fan of Liver fried with onions, yum.
Thanks for a nice Monday morning read.
Marlene
When I was a lot younger my mama would have liver pudding and I think liver mush also. My great grand parents live in Greensboro and are buried in Colfax. I guess liver pudding and liver mush passed down the line to Mama.