Entree: Austria – Vienna – Tafelspitz (Boiled beef in a clear aromatic broth served with root vegetables and horseradish-based sauces)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 2 hrs 30 min

Additional 10 min

Total 3 hrs 5 min

Ingredients

1.6 kg bone-in beef rump roast (trimmed of excess fat; top round is an alternative)
3.8 L cold water
300 g yellow onions, halved and charred on the cut sides
300 g carrots, peeled and halved
225 g parsnips, peeled and halved
300 g celeriac (celery root), peeled and cut into chunks
175 g leek, white and light green parts, cleaned and halved lengthwise
4 garlic cloves, smashed (about 12 g)
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns (about 7 g)
6 whole allspice berries (about 1 g)
1 teaspoon whole cloves (about 2 g)
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste (about 10 g initially)
900 g small waxy potatoes, boiled and drained
Optional: 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, for seasoning the broth or serving
Apfelkren: 240 g fresh horseradish root, grated
Apfelkren: 170 g tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled and grated
Apfelkren: 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (60 ml)
Apfelkren: 1 teaspoon sugar (about 4 g)
Apfelkren: 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (about 2.5 g)
Optional Apfelkren addition: 2 tablespoons heavy cream (30 ml), selected rather than sour cream
Chive-sour cream sauce: 240 g sour cream
Chive-sour cream sauce: 2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh chives (about 8 g)
Chive-sour cream sauce: 1 teaspoon lemon juice (5 ml)
Chive-sour cream sauce: salt and white pepper to taste; quantify the amounts actually used if tracking nutrition

Instructions

1. For 6 servings, place the bone-in beef rump roast in a large stockpot and cover with the cold water. Slowly bring to a gentle simmer, skimming foam from the surface.
2. Char the cut sides of the halved onions in a dry pan or under a broiler. Add them to the pot with the carrots, parsnips, celeriac, leek, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and 2 teaspoons salt.
3. Partially cover and maintain a very gentle simmer until the beef is fork-tender, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Avoid a hard boil.
4. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in a separate pot of salted water until tender. Drain and keep warm.
5. Remove the beef from the pot and rest it for 10 minutes. Strain the broth into a clean pot or serving vessel, reserving the cooked root vegetables to serve alongside the beef. Discard the bay leaves and whole spices. Season the broth to taste; add the optional white wine vinegar if desired.
6. Slice the beef against the grain into roughly 1/4-inch slices. Warm the slices briefly in some reheated broth if desired.
7. For Apfelkren, mix the grated horseradish and apple with the cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and optional heavy cream. Taste and adjust the balance of sweetness and acidity.
8. For the chive-sour cream sauce, stir together the sour cream, chives, lemon juice, and salt and white pepper to taste. Chill until serving.
9. Serve the sliced beef with clear broth, boiled potatoes, the reserved root vegetables, Apfelkren, and chive-sour cream sauce.