00:00Wiener Schnitzel may be the golden child of Wiener's cuisine, but it's also the safe order.
00:05For something a little more grown up, there's another classic.
00:09If it's done well, I like it a lot.
00:12So it's a true classic, but it might not be suitable for vegetarians.
00:17In our family, we used to have it quite often as a Sunday or holiday meal at Grandma's.
00:23Tafelspitz. Tender beef, slowly simmered in broth and served with a cast of traditional sides.
00:29My grandmother used to serve this on weekends, as was the tradition. Such wonderful memories of childhood.
00:35Chef Markus Waldhäusl and his team at Vienna's historic Maisel & Schaden restaurant are keeping the tradition of Tafelspitz alive.
00:53Tafelspitz is a very lean cut of meat. The fat is only on the surface.
00:57You can trim it off, which makes for very tender meat.
01:03If you've never heard of this cut before, you're not alone.
01:07It's uniquely Austrian and comes from the upper hind leg of the cow.
01:14Okay, but what else goes into making this dish what it is?
01:23We use the shallots with their skins on. They add a nice color and flavor to the soup.
01:30A good soup should have a balanced flavor between the meat, the seasoning and, of course, the vegetables.
01:37The spices enhance the flavor, but the soup should primarily taste like vegetables or meat.
01:43Now we add the vegetables to the meat into the boiling soup.
01:52Those are the typical spices that go into a beef soup.
01:56Pepper adds heat. Lovage gives it that classic soup flavor.
02:00Garlic rounds it all out a bit.
02:03Bay leaves, juniper berries have that earthy flavor.
02:06Nutmeg is more subtle. And caraway. Caraway is good for digestion.
02:12Garlic cloves. Of course, if you don't like garlic, you can use less garlic or none at all.
02:18Or if you don't like nutmeg, you can leave it out. No problem. It'll just taste different.
02:26Patience is key. The meat, vegetables and spices need to simmer for up to two hours.
02:32So, while we wait, let's dig into a little history.
02:38To understand Tafelspitz, we first need to look at how beef became such an important part of Viennese cuisine.
02:47Jacob Lehner, curator at the Viennese museum, can explain this best.
02:55From the late Middle Ages onwards, there were several sort of cattle droves throughout a number of European countries.
03:02And one of the most important ones led from Hungary to southern Germany.
03:07So Vienna was the first really big hub where these could be traded,
03:13where there would be a huge cattle market,
03:15and also there would be a lot of beef available given this massive influx.
03:22And so that actually created Viennese beef culture, if you will.
03:29With the history covered, it's time to check on our Tafelspitz.
03:38While the meat may be the star, the traditional sides complete the dish.
03:47And a typical side dish for Tafelspitz is apple horseradish.
03:51It consists of freshly grated sour apples seasoned with lemon juice and fresh horseradish.
04:01As early as the 19th century, beef was served at Meisel in a wide variety of ways, accompanied by many
04:07different side dishes.
04:08We want to uphold this tradition, which is why we bring the meat to our guests in this cart.
04:12The meat is carved in front of them.
04:14And the meat is carved in front of the gas.
04:18Here guests can enjoy Tafelspitz alongside other traditional cuts of beef.
04:26Tafelspitz may not be as renowned as Schnitzel, but for many Viennese it symbolizes tradition, comfort and a connection to
04:33the city's past.
04:36Tafelspitz
04:37Tafelspitz
04:38Tafelspitz
