Fiakergulasch With Sacher Sausages from Cafe-Restaurant Hummel, Vienna

Fiakergulasch (Coachmen's Goulash) is an interesting evolution of Viennese goulash (Wiener Saftgulasch). The recipe is similar to the Felkurat Otto Katz Goulash but garnished with fried Vienna sausage (Wiener Würstchen), preferably the Sacher sausage, a fried egg, and a fan-cut pickle. It is served with with Vienna bread dumplings or boiled potatoes.

Its name derives from the coachmen of Vienna’s 19th-century horse-drawn carriages known as a Fiaker. The Fiaker-style goulash is also known as Herrengulasch (gentlemen’s goulash).

Sacher sausage (Sacherwürstel) is a type of Vienna sausage (Wiener Würstchen), but almost a foot long and characterized by even better, more intense taste. It is made by the Viennese company Trünkel. The difference between the regular Wiener Würstchen, which is a great snack by itself, and the Sacher sausage is that even higher quality raw materials are used for the Sacher sausage, resulting is a more intense flavor and somewhat darker color. Sacher sausages are identified by a gold-medal seal, which is is attached by hand on each pair of sausage.

An authoritative treatise on the history of weenies is given here. Suffice to say here that Vienna sausages (Wiener Würstchen, Wiener Würstel) are made from a mixture of pork and beef, while the traditional (and older) sausages from Frankfurt (Frankfurter Würstchen) are made with pork only.

In Vienna, based on over a century of experience, people say that the best hangover remedy is a Fiakergulasch served with a ‘repair beer’. Perhaps that is why goulashes are served in may cafés in Vienna in the morning!

Ingredients: 2.2 lb shank of beef (or any type of stewing beef) 4-6 eggs 4-6 gherkins (pickled) 2-3 pairs Sacher sausages, regular pork-and-beef weenie (Wiener Würstchen) if not available 1 3/4 lbs onions 2/3 cup dripping (or oil) 2 tbsp sweet paprika powder 1 tsp hot paprika powder 3 cloves garlic 1 tbsp tomatoes, puréed 1 tbsp marjoram 2 bay leaves 1 tsp caraway seeds, chopped Vinegar Salt Ground pepper Butter for frying eggs

Preparation:

1. Cut the onions in strips, the meat in cubes, and crush the garlic.
2. Heat the dripping or oil in a sauce pan and brown the cubed meat. Remove and fry the onions on medium heat until golden brown. Add the paprika powder and tomato paste, stir, and quickly pour in the vinegar and a little water.
3. Return the browned meat to the sauce pan, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic, marjoram, bay leaves and caraway, and pour in enough water so that the meat is covered. Stir, and simmer on medium heat, semi-covered, for about 2 1/2 hours.
4. Stir from time to time, and add water. As soon as the meat is cooked, take the pot off the stove and place in a moderately-warm oven for about 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, heat water for the sausages. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Heat the butter in a pan, and fry the eggs. Slice the gherkins in the shape of a fan.
6. Heat the goulash again, add water if needed, season, and stir vigorously.
7. When the goulash is ready, serve on warmed plates. Place the fried eggs on top of the goulash, and one sausage on the side. Garnish with gherkins.
8. YIELD: serves 4