How to cook Tafelspitz (Austrian Prime Boiled Beef)

Name: Tafelspitz - Austrian Prime Boiled Beef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 160 min
Ingredients: 1 Mirepoix; 600 g Tafelspitz (Tafelspitz is part of the beef hindquarter. It forms the flat end of the beef rump, tapering to the tail. ); 1 tsp salt; 8 pcs peppercorns; 1 tsp lovage; 1 stock cube; 1-2 cloves garlic; 1/4 Onion

Published: Jun 2, 2021 · Modified: Jan 14, 2022 by Nora · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 48 Comments

Today I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite dishes from my homeland: Tafelspitz, a national dish from Austria. Learn how to easily prepare this delicacy in your kitchen and an excellent pick for a Christmas menu main course.

If you're visiting Vienna and want to eat the best Tafelspitz, you should pay a visit to Plachutta in Wollzeile.

Anyway, Tafelspitz is certainly a Viennese “delicacy” suited to special occasions…for dinner parties, having family around, or a holiday celebration. It's even the flagship dish on the menus of some of Vienna's more upmarket restaurants, such as Plachutta on the Wollzeile (Incidentally, Tafelspitz is also the name of the specific meat joint used, cut from the rump, with a characteristic layer of fat on one side. If there's no fat, it's not Tafelspitz.) You boil the meat in simmering water until very soft and tender, along with soup greens and/or soup cubes. People typically use the leftover broth as a soup before the meat course.

(plachutta-wollzeile.at)

Jump to:

🥘 Ingredients
🍽 Equipment
🔪 Instructions
💭 Top tip
🙋🏻 FAQ
📖 Recipe
⛑ Food Safety
Related Posts
💬 Comments

🥘 Ingredients

Mirepoix (mixed vegetables for soup, consisting: carrots, parsley, celery stalk, and leek)
21.2 oz (600 g) Tafelspitz (Tafelspitz is part of the beef hindquarter. It forms the flat end of the beef rump, tapering to the tail. The meat is medium to long fibrous and therefore suitable for simmering, cooking, and braising.)
1 teaspoon Salt
8 pcs peppercorns
1 teaspoon Lovage
1 Stock Cube
1-2 Cloves of Garlic
one-quarter of an onion

Christmas Dinner Cook Book - 24 delicious recipes

🍽 Equipment

Large Soup Pot with at least 7-quart capacity
Cutting Board
Kitchen knife
Strainer

🔪 Instructions

Fill a large soup pot ⅔ full with water. Add all the other ingredients (except the meat) and bring the water to a boil. The meat must be added to the pot only when the water boils; this is because you want to keep the flavor inside the meat and not boil it out. In fact, this is precisely the opposite of boiling a classical beef broth here. When making beef soup, that's what you want. To get every flavor out of the meat into the soup. But with Tafelspitz, you want the beef to retain its incredible flavor!

Once the water boils, add the meat and let it cook for 2.5 hours. Put the lid of the pot at an angle during this process. Then strain the soup to separate it from the greens.

Place the cooked Tafelspitz on a cutting board and cut it into finger-thick slices.

If you don't want to discard the carrots, set them aside and slice them. Then, return the sliced carrots to the soup.

Now you can serve the soup with an addition of your choice. (I opted for a noodle soup here). You can also use frittatas, liver dumplings, semolina gnocchi, here. Whatever you fancy. Afterward, present the Viennese Tafelspitz with roasted potatoes, apple horseradish, and chive sauce.

Looking for Christmas Dinner recipes? Check out my American-inspired Christmas dinner! Find even more recipes in my Christmas Dinner Cookbook!

💭 Top tip

Traditional Accompaniments with Austrian Boiled Beef

When ordering Tafelspitz in a restaurant in Austria, you traditionally get the meat in the soup served in a small soup pot. Kartoffelschmarrn (roasted potatoes) and sauces (apple horseradish and chive sauce) separately. In some cases, instead of roasted potatoes, creamed spinach is served. You can choose the beef bouillon garnish in advance: In most cases- noodles, liver dumplings, or frittatas.

🙋🏻 FAQ

How long can you keep cooked beef?

USDA recommends using cooked beef within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

There are two different families of bacteria: pathogenic bacteria, the kind that cause foodborne illness, and spoilage bacteria, the kind of bacteria that cause foods to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures.

Pathogenic bacteria can grow rapidly in the "Danger Zone," the temperature range between 40°F and 140°F. Because they do not generally affect the taste, smell, or appearance of a food, one cannot tell that a pathogen is present.

Spoilage bacteria can grow at cold temperatures, such as in the refrigerator. Eventually they cause food to develop off or bad tastes and smells. Most people would not choose to eat spoiled food, but if they did, they probably would not get sick. However, some pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) thrive at cold temperatures, and if present, will grow in the refrigerator and could cause illness. Microbial spoilage results from bacteria, molds, and yeast.

Though spoilage of food is mostly an issue of quality, it is also a matter of food safety. Of course never taste foods to determine safety. The Danger Zone is the temperature range between 41°F and 140°F in which bacteria can grow rapidly. To keep food out of the Danger Zone, keep cold food cold, at or below 40°F , and hot food hot, at or above 140°F. USDA recommends following the FOUR steps to Food Safety (Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill) to prevent food spoilage and reduce your risk of foodborne illness.

Provide a short description of the article. The title appears in the article and in search results.

Source: ask.usda.gov

Are Beef Bone Broth and Beef Stock the Same Thing?

Yes, and no. First of all, "bone broth" is a culinary misnomer. Since traditional broth is made from meat, not bones, the "bone broths" that are popular to drink on their own these days are technically stock. Bone broths are simmered for longer than regular stocks are to extract more nutrients; sometimes vinegar is added to help break down the bones more as they cook. It's then seasoned to make it more palatable.

Even though beef stock and bone broth are very similar, keep in mind when using products labeled "beef bone broth" as an ingredient that they are already salted, so you should reduce the salt the recipe calls for.

Source: simplyrecipes.com

Where should I eat Tafelspitz in Vienna?

Vienna's best for boiled beef. - Plachutta Wollzeile

I can highly recommend Plachutta to everyone!

Source: tripadvisor.com

What to serve with Tafelspitz?

What cut of beef is Tafelspitz?

The Tafelspitz is part of the beef hindquarter. It forms the flat end of the beef rump, tapering to the tail. The meat is medium to long fibrous and therefore suitable for simmering, cooking, and braising.

Tafelspitz is part of the beef hindquarter. It forms the flat end of the beef rump, tapering to the tail. The meat is medium to long fibrous and therefore suitable for simmering, cooking, and braising.

Have fun cooking and enjoying this traditional Viennese delicacy! Let me know how you liked it!

Combine Good Flavors - Enjoy creating delicious food all year round!

📖 Recipe

Fully cooked Tafelspitz (prime boiled beef) after 2.5 hours. Cut into finger-thick slices.

Tafelspitz - Austrian Prime Boiled Beef

Nora

Tafelspitz - a national dish from Austria and an excellent pick for a Christmas menu main course. Boil high-quality beef, with vegetables and traditional flavoring in water, and serve Tafelspitz with roasted potatoes, apple horseradish, and chive sauce.

4.98 from 97 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 40 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Austrian

Servings servings

Calories 421 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 Mirepoix
600 g Tafelspitz Tafelspitz is part of the beef hindquarter. It forms the flat end of the beef rump, tapering to the tail.
1 teaspoon salt
8 pcs peppercorns
1 teaspoon lovage
1 stock cube
1-2 cloves garlic
¼ Onion

Instructions

Fill a large soup pot ⅔ full with water.
Add all the other ingredients (except the meat) and bring the water to a boil.
Once the water boils, add the meat and let it cook for 2.5 hours. Put the lid of the pot at an angle during this process.
After 2.5 hours strain the soup to separate it from the greens.
Place the cooked Tafelspitz on a cutting board and slice it into finger-thick slices.

Notes

Use the cooked soup right away as an appetizer.

Now you can serve the soup with an addition of your choice. (I opted for a noodle soup here). You can also use frittatas, liver dumplings, semolina gnocchi, here. Whatever you fancy.

What to serve with Tafelspitz?

Fancy delicious cookie recipes?Check out the Combine Good Flavors Cook(ie)book!

Keyword Autrian Prime Boiled Beef, Beef Bouillon, Cooked Beef, Prime Boiled Beef, Tafelspitz, Viennese Tafelspitz

Like this recipe?Mention @combinegoodflavors or tag #combinegoodflavors!

Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

⛑ Food Safety

Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
Wash hands after touching raw meat
Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
Never leave cooking food unattended
Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

« How to make fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Ricotta

How to make Apfelkren - Austrian Horseradish Sauce? »