Boiled Beef and Vegetables (Austrian Tafelspitz)

"Tafelspitz" is the national dish of Austria. It is made by boiling tri-tip (beef) in water with root vegetables and spices until tender. It is a favourite dish of the Viennese kitchen and commonly served with applesauce-horseradish sauce (or Apfelkren) and fried potatoes, either as Bratkartoffeln or as Kartoffelschmarrn. Tri-tip is a cut of beef at the base of the loin, close to the back leg, is triangular in shape and can be cooked like a steak. Alternative beef cuts to use for this dish: bottom round, sirloin or rump roast. There is practically no more delicious proof of how firmly the Austrian cuisine is rooted in the heart of Europe than one of the most typical of Viennese dishes: boiled veal/beef, or Tafelspitz. Good-quality beef, a few vegetables, aromatic spices and plenty of water to cook in - these are the vital ingredients. The same ingredients as when the French are creating their “pot-au-feu” or the Italians with their “bollito misto”.

Beef and Vegetables:
4 lbs tri-tip, bottom round, sirloin or rump roast (2 kg)
1½ lb beef marrow bones
3 large carrots
3 turnips or parsnips
1 celeriac or several stalks of celery
1 large onion
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
10 whole allspice
5 juniper berries
sea salt

Chive Sauce:
¼ cup fresh chives, snipped
6-8 oz sour cream

Horseradish Sauce (Austrian Apfelkren):
2-3 Tbsp. fresh horseradish, grated
1 cup whipping cream

To Serve:
Salt Potatoes, Bratkartoffeln or Kartoffelschmarrn
spinach or cooked cabbage

The roast should have a good layer of fat on it which can be removed after serving. Wash the tri-tip and the marrow bones and place in a large pot, bones first.

Peel the carrots, turnips, and celeriac and cut half of them into large 1" chunks. Add them to the pot with the spices, but no salt.

Cut the onion in half (if it is a nice onion, you do not even have to peel it) and brown the cut half in a hot, ungreased pan until almost black. Add to the pot.

Cover with water, then bring to a boil. Skim any foam, then reduce to a simmer and let it simmer for 2-3 hours (at high altitude, this can be considerably longer) or until a fork pierces the meat easily.

Remove the meat and bones to a plate and pass the broth through a sieve, reserving the liquids and throwing out the vegetables and spices.

Place the meat back in the broth, add the second half of the vegetables, cut a bit smaller this time and simmer until vegetables are tender (½-1 hour).

For the Chive Sauce:
Mix the sour cream with chives cut into rings. Salt and pepper to taste.

For the Horseradish Sauce (Austrian Apfelkren):
Grate some fresh horseradish and mix it into a cup of unsweetened, softly whipped, whipping cream. Add salt as necessary.

Assembly:
Add salt to the broth just before serving, to keep the meat from drying out. The broth is served first, with the marrow bones and vegetables. You can add cooked noodles, pancake strips or rice if you wish.

The meat is cut across the grain into thin slices and served with Chive Sauce and Horseradish Sauce. Salt potatoes or Bratkartoffeln or Kartoffelschmarrn and spinach or cooked cabbage is also commonly served.

Makes 6-8 servings.