Today we’re heading to Austria — a land of Alpine meadows, Viennese coffeehouses, and one of Europe’s heartiest, most soulful cuisines. We’ll make three iconic dishes that Austrians have loved from generation to generation.
A classic Viennese stew of veal lungs and heart in a thick cream-and-sour-cream sauce with capers and lemon zest. A dish with a velvety texture and a piquant, slightly tangy flavor — traditionally served with bread dumplings (Semmelknödel).
Ingredients (serves 4):
• Veal lungs — 500 g
• Veal heart — 250 g
• Yellow onions — 2 medium
• Carrot — 1
• Celeriac — 80 g
• Bay leaves — 2
• Black peppercorns — 6
• Butter — 50 g
• Wheat flour — 2 tbsp
• Sour cream (20%) — 150 ml
• Capers — 2 tbsp
• Anchovy paste (or 2 anchovy fillets) — 1 tsp
• Lemon — 1 (zest and juice)
• Dijon mustard — 1 tsp
• White wine vinegar — 1 tbsp
• Salt, ground white pepper — to taste
• Fresh parsley — for serving
Method:
Step 1. Rinse the veal lungs and heart thoroughly under cold running water. Soak the lungs in cold water for 2 hours, changing the water periodically — it should become completely clear. This removes any remaining blood and gets rid of the distinctive offal taste.
Step 2. Place the lungs and heart in a large pot and cover with cold water so that it rises 5 cm above the meat. Add 1 whole peeled onion, the carrot cut lengthwise in half, the celeriac, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil over medium heat, skim off the foam, then simmer gently for 60–90 minutes. To check doneness: the lungs should release no pink liquid when pierced with a knife, and the heart should be easy to pierce with a fork.
Step 3. Remove the offal and let it cool to room temperature. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and reserve it — you’ll need 400 ml. Slice the lungs into thin strips 4–5 cm long and 5 mm wide (julienne). Slice the heart into similar strips. Remove all tubes and tough pieces.
Step 4. Dice the second onion finely (3 mm). Melt the butter in a deep frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion until soft and lightly golden — about 5–7 minutes. It should turn translucent and lightly caramelized.
Step 5. Add the flour to the onion, stir vigorously, and cook for 2 minutes until it gives off a light nutty aroma — this is the classic Austrian Einbrenn, a roux-like thickener. Gradually pour in 400 ml of the strained broth in 100 ml additions, whisking thoroughly each time to prevent lumps. The sauce should become smooth and uniform, with the consistency of thin sour cream.
Step 6. Add the sliced offal, capers, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, the zest of half a lemon (finely grated), 1 tbsp lemon juice, and white wine vinegar to the sauce. Stir and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, allowing all the flavors to come together. The sauce should thicken and coat the meat.
Step 7. Remove from the heat, add the sour cream, and stir gently. Taste and adjust the balance: add more lemon juice if needed (for brightness), a pinch of sugar (if it is too sour), salt, and white pepper. The sauce should be creamy, with a distinct tangy bite. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped parsley, alongside bread dumplings or fresh white bread.
💡 Fact: Beuschel is the quintessence of Viennese “poor people’s food” that eventually became a delicacy. The word itself comes from the old German Beuschel — offal. This dish was a favorite among Vienna’s fiaker carriage drivers in the 19th century, and it is still served in the finest Viennese Beisln (traditional taverns) as a tribute to culinary heritage.
The famous Tyrolean skillet of fried potatoes and beef with a crisp crust, crowned with a fried egg. A hearty, fragrant Alpine dish with a smoky flavor and an appetizing golden color — true mountain comfort food.
Ingredients (serves 4):
• Cooked beef (or leftover roast beef) — 400 g
• Potatoes — 600 g (a waxy variety that holds its shape)
• Yellow onions — 2 large
• Butter — 40 g
• Clarified butter (or vegetable oil) — 3 tbsp
• Caraway seeds — 1 tsp
• Dried marjoram — 1 tsp
• Sweet paprika — 0.5 tsp
• Salt, ground black pepper — to taste
• Eggs — 4
• Fresh scallions or chives — for serving
• Fresh parsley — for serving
Method:
Step 1. Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water until cooked through — about 20–25 minutes. To check doneness: a knife should enter the potato with slight resistance (the potatoes must not be overcooked, or they will fall apart during frying). Cool completely — ideally, cook them the day before and leave them in the refrigerator overnight. Peel and slice into 5 mm rounds or 1.5 cm cubes.
Step 2. Cut the beef into cubes roughly 1.5–2 cm across. If using raw beef (tenderloin or rump), first sear it over high heat in clarified butter for 2 minutes on each side until browned, then cut it up. But traditional Gröstl is made specifically with yesterday’s meat — it is a “second-day” dish.
Step 3. Slice the onions into 3 mm half-moons. Heat the clarified butter in a large cast-iron skillet (at least 28 cm in diameter) over medium heat. Add the onions and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and soft. The onions should caramelize and turn sweet.
Step 4. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the sliced potatoes to the onions and spread them out in a single layer. Fry, WITHOUT STIRRING, for 4–5 minutes, until the underside develops a crisp golden crust. Then carefully turn them with a spatula and repeat. Total frying time for the potatoes is 10–12 minutes. They should be golden and crisp outside, soft within.
Step 5. Add the beef cubes, caraway, marjoram, and paprika. Stir and fry for another 5 minutes, until the meat is warmed through and lightly crusted. Add the butter — it gives the dish its distinctive Alpine aroma. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 6. In a separate pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up: heat a little butter and carefully crack in the eggs. Fry over medium heat for 2–3 minutes — the whites should be fully set and opaque, while the yolks remain runny and glossy.
Step 7. Divide the Gröstl among warmed plates, piling it into mounds. Place a fried egg on top of each serving. Generously scatter with finely chopped scallions and parsley. Serve immediately — when cut, the egg yolk should run over the potatoes, creating a natural sauce. Traditionally, Gröstl is served with a green salad dressed in pumpkin seed oil.
💡 Fact: Tiroler Gröstl is the classic “Monday dish” of Austrian Alpine villages. It was invented by thrifty Tyrolean housewives to use up the remains of Sunday roast. The name comes from the verb rösten — to fry. Today, the dish is a must on the menu of every mountain hut (Almhütte) in Tyrol, and tourists order it specifically after a day on the slopes.
The world’s oldest cake with a documented recipe — a crumbly nutty shortcrust base with ground almonds and cinnamon, generously covered with a layer of sweet-tart red currant jam and decorated with an open lattice of pastry. The flavor is warm, spiced, and bright with berry tang.
Ingredients (24–26 cm pan):
Pastry:
• Wheat flour — 200 g
• Ground almonds (unblanched, skins on) — 200 g
• Sugar — 150 g
• Cold butter — 200 g
• Egg yolks — 2
• Lemon zest — 1 tsp (from 1 lemon, finely grated)
• Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp
• Ground cloves — 0.25 tsp
• Cocoa powder — 1 tbsp
• Baking powder — 0.5 tsp
• A pinch of salt
Filling and finish:
• Red currant jam (or raspberry jam) — 300 g (good quality, with a high fruit content)
• Egg yolk — 1 (for brushing)
• Milk — 1 tbsp (for brushing)
• Sliced almonds — 2 tbsp (for decoration)
• Powdered sugar — for serving
Method:
Step 1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Cut the cold butter into 1 cm cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Rub together with your hands or chop with a pastry scraper until coarse crumbs form — pieces of butter the size of peas should remain visible.
Step 2. Add the 2 egg yolks and lemon zest. Quickly bring the dough together into a ball — do not knead it for long; 1–2 minutes is enough. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky because of its high butter and nut content. Divide the dough into 2 portions: 2/3 and 1/3. Wrap each in plastic wrap, shaping them into discs. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (2 is better). The dough should become firm and easy to roll out.
Step 3. Preheat the oven to 175 °C (convection — 160 °C). Butter a 24–26 cm springform pan and dust it lightly with flour. Take out the larger portion of dough (2/3) and roll it on a lightly floured surface into a circle 5–6 mm thick. If the dough crumbles, gently press it together with your palms. Transfer it to the pan, forming a base and sides 2.5–3 cm high, pressing with your fingers. Prick the base several times with a fork.
Step 4. Spread the red currant jam evenly over the base, stopping 1 cm short of the sides. The jam layer should be roughly 5–7 mm thick. If the jam is too thick, warm it slightly and stir until smooth.
Step 5. Take out the smaller portion of dough (1/3). Roll it into a rectangle 5 mm thick. Cut it into strips 1–1.5 cm wide with a knife or fluted pastry wheel (for wavy edges — traditionally). Lay the strips over the jam in a lattice: first 5–6 parallel strips in one direction, then 5–6 strips diagonally or at right angles. Press the ends of the strips into the sides. Roll the remaining dough into a rope and lay it around the edge, covering the joins.
Step 6. Mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk. Carefully brush the lattice and sides — this will give them a beautiful glossy golden color. Sprinkle the sides with sliced almonds, pressing them in lightly. Put the cake in the preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for 40–50 minutes. To check doneness: the pastry should be a deep golden brown, the jam should be bubbling slightly in the lattice openings, and the edges should be confidently browned.
Step 7. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely in the pan — at least 2 hours. Linzer Torte MUST NOT be cut while warm; it will crumble. Carefully remove the side of the pan. Before serving, lightly dust with powdered sugar through a fine sieve. Important: the flavor of Linzer Torte improves dramatically on the 2nd–3rd day, once the pastry has absorbed the jam. Store at room temperature under a cover for up to 7–10 days.
💡 Fact: Linzer Torte is considered the world’s oldest cake with a surviving recipe — the earliest record dates to 1653 and was found in Upper Austria. For a long time, it was credited to the Viennese confectioner Johann Konrad Vogel, but in 2005 historians discovered a recipe in the archives of Countess Anna Margarita Sazinger, pushing the date back even further. Notably, the original recipe used hazelnuts rather than almonds, and the jam was exclusively red currant — Ribisel, as Austrians call it.