Tafelspitz
For our evening in Austria, we’re going to enjoy the national dish of the country: Tafelspitz
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 3 hrs
Total time: 3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 6-8
4 lbs. (2 kilograms) tri-tip roast
1 1/2 lbs. beef marrow bones
3 lg carrots
3 turnips, or parsnips
1 celeriac, or several stalks celery
1 lg onion
2 bay leaves
10 whole peppercorns
10 whole allspice
5 whole juniper berries
1 dash salt, to taste
For Sauces:
1/4 cup snipped chives
6 to 8 oz sour cream
2 to 3 tbsps grated fresh horseradish
1 cup whipping cream
Directions
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-inch chunks. Add them to the pot with the spices, but no salt.
Cut the onion in half 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 to 3 hours 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 (1/2 to 1 hour).
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 desired.
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 (kale, etc.) is also commonly served.
For the chive sauce, mix the sour cream with chives cut into rings. Salt and pepper to taste.
For the horseradish sauce, grate some fresh horseradish and mix it into a cup of unsweetened, softly whipped, whipping cream. Add salt as necessary.
