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Tafelspitz & Tradition Imperial Tradition

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 favourite 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 councillor) 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.

Meat from beef

Our meat, our farmers Only the best quality is allowed on your table!

  1. 1.

    We know our farmers who ensure the excellent quality of the beef on their family-run farms.

  2. 2.

    Austria’s valuable cultivated landscapes and the quality of its pastures ensure the tasty flavour of the meat.

  3. 3.

    We know exactly what the cattle are fed and that quality fodder is guaranteed by Austrian pastures.

  4. 4.

    All cattle were born in Austria and are raised on small-scale farms with transparent structures.

  5. 5.

    We only source beef from naturally-raised healthy cattle.

  6. 6.

    We can trace every single animal back to its birth.

Soup, Mark & Tafelspitz How it’s done

  1. 1.

    Put a ladleful of beef broth from the pot into your bowl.

    Put a ladleful of beef broth from the pot into your bowl
  2. 2.

    Spread marrow onto a slice of toasted black bread and season with salt and pepper. Eat with your fingers!

    Spread marrow onto a slice of toasted black bread
  3. 3.

    Take some meat from the pot and serve with fried potato rosti, vegetables, chive sauce and horse radish with apple.

    Take some meat from the pot

The recipe Recipe for Plachutta’s Tafelspitz

Preparation

Brown the unskinned onion halves on their cut sides without oil in a pan lined with aluminium foil until very dark brown. Wash meat briefly with lukewarm water; drain. Bring water to the boil, add meat and cook at a simmer. Keep skimming off the foam that accumulates, and add peppercorns and onion. About 25 minutes before the meat is scheduled to be done, add vegetables, leek and, if desired, granulated bouillon.

Remove cooked meat from the broth, cut into finger-thick slices, place on patter and sprinkle with salt and chives. Strain broth and season to taste with salt.

Cooking time: about 3-3 ½ hours

Serves 6-8

1onion with skin (halved)
about 2 kgTafelspitz (cap of rump)
about 3,5 Litreswater
10-15black peppercorns
250 Gvegetables peeled (Equal Amounts of carrots, yellow carrots, celeriac and parsley root)
½Leek (halved and washed)
granulated bouillon (as needed)
salt
chives (chopped, to garnish)
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