Tafelspitz, Goulash & Other Classics
Tafelspitz — boiled beef (from the hind leg), served in soup with chive sauce, apple horseradish (horseradish with apple), and roasted potatoes. It was Emperor Franz Joseph's favorite dish, which he supposedly ate every day. The reference restaurant is Plachutta in Vienna, where 10 different beef cuts are on the menu.
Goulash — arrived in Vienna via Hungary and perfected there. The Viennese Saftgulasch differs from the Hungarian original: only beef (no pork), lots of onions (at least as much as meat!), paprika, caraway, tomato paste, and vinegar. Simmered for hours until the sauce is thick and dark red. Served with a roll or noodles. Available in every Viennese Beisl (tavern).
Other classics of Austrian cuisine:
- Onion roast — roast beef with crispy fried onion rings, served with fried potatoes
- Fried chicken — breaded fried chicken, crispy, the schnitzel counterpart for poultry
- Beuschel — calf lung and heart in a sour cream sauce, a classic offal dish
- Breaded liver — breaded in breadcrumbs, with potato salad
- Cheese noodles — Spätzle with melted cheese and fried onions, the comfort food of the Alps
- Carinthian Kasnudeln — filled dumplings with curd (quark), potatoes, and mint, artfully crimped
