Tafelspitz — simmered beef with apple horseradish

Check that the beef has no tough membranes; leave the thin layer of fat in place during cooking. Wash the onion, remove loose and dirty skin, then cut it in half crosswise. Put the halves cut-side down in a dry stainless steel or cast-iron skillet and heat for about 4–5 minutes, until the cut surfaces are deeply browned. Do not add oil and do not char the onion.

Bring 2.5 l water to a boil in a pot large enough to hold the whole piece of meat. Carefully lower in the beef; it should be covered with liquid. Add some of the remaining water if necessary. Reduce the heat and skim foam from the surface with a spoon during the first dozen or so minutes. Add both onion halves, the bay leaves and all the peppercorns.

Cook with the lid slightly ajar for about 2 hours. The liquid should barely tremble, with an occasional bubble, without boiling vigorously. If the level drops, add the remaining water, heated beforehand, to keep the meat submerged. After 2 hours, add the 11 g salt and test the meat with a fork. If it is still noticeably firm, cook for about another 30 minutes before adding the vegetables.

Cut the carrots into pieces about 3 cm long and the celeriac into cubes about 2 cm across. Add them to the pot once the beef is starting to soften and continue cooking very gently for about 30–40 minutes. The meat should be tender and a fork should go into it without much resistance; total cooking time is usually 2.5–3 hours, sometimes a little longer. If the vegetables are ready before the meat, lift them out with a slotted spoon and keep covered while the beef finishes cooking. All the carrots and celeriac will be served.

Toward the end of the beef cooking time, finely grate the prepared apples and immediately mix with all the lemon juice. Finely grate the horseradish by an open window, as the fresh root is pungent. Add it to the apples with the 8 g sugar and 1 g salt. Mix, cover and refrigerate until serving. Keep the entire mixture, including any juice released by the apples.

Lift the meat and all the vegetables for serving into a warmed deep dish. Strain the stock, catching the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns in the strainer; do not serve these ingredients. Skim visible fat from the surface with a spoon. Measure out 400 ml hot broth, pour it over the meat and vegetables and cover while you prepare the plates. Do not add the remaining stock to these portions: transfer it to smaller containers, cool quickly and refrigerate for a separate meal.

Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Cut off the visible outer layer of fat and slice the meat across the grain into slices about 1 cm thick. Work promptly so the meat does not cool down. Immediately return the slices to the dish of hot broth without pulling them apart into strands.

Finely chop the chives. Divide all the sliced beef, carrots and celeriac between four warmed deep plates. Divide all the measured broth between them as well, about 100 ml per portion, and sprinkle with all the chives. Serve a quarter of the apple horseradish and its juice alongside each portion, preferably in small bowls to keep its flavor fresh. Serve immediately.