Tafelspitz

Tafelspitz is the Austrian name for the meat cut taken from the top hind end of the cattle (usually a young ox), close to its tail. Tafelspitz, literally meaning tip(of meat) is considered to be the national dish of Austria & similarly popular in the neighboring German state of Bavaria.

The beef meat is placed along with bay leaves, peppercorn, and juniper berries in the simmering water where it is left to boil in low heat for about 2,5 hours. The broth is enriched with several root vegetables like onions, carrots & turnips.

When the meat becomes tender enough it is sliced & placed on a plate where a bit of its own soup is poured over it. It is sprinkled with chives before it is served along with some extra-crispy fried or roasted potatoes, chive sauce & apple-horseradish sauce. Delicious.

If you want a real taste of authentic tafelspitz you should look for Plachutta Wollzeile. The unique character of the Plachutta restaurants is based on the tradition of Viennese boiled beef. Emperor Franz Joseph made boiled beef hugely popular when he declared that it was his favorite meal. Joseph Wechsberg, the Old Austrian essayist and gourmet, wrote “

In Vienna, a person who couldn’t talk learnedly about at least a dozen different cuts of boiled beef didn’t belong, no matter how much money he’d made or if the Kaiser had awarded him the title of Hofrat (court councilor) or Kommerzialrat.

Vienna attained a unique international position early on with the typical small cuts of beef. Among the many beef delicacies, it is undoubtedly the Tafelspitz that has achieved the greatest fame. Plachutta Wollzeile is the kind provider of our photos for this traditional dish.