Thinking again about it, perhaps two Brettljausen a day is not as crazy as it may sound, providing there are at least four hours between them, the first Jause is not very big and the second is very good. And very good this one definitely was. Berghof seems to be one of the better four-star hotels in the area, and their restaurant looks remarkable both ambience- and service-wise. This Brettljause is a seasonal offering, and is normally served from 13:00 to 17:00 only, though as my experience has demonstrated, exceptions can be made.
The first thing one notices is how well this Brettljause is presented: the thought that went into arranging all the pieces of pig on a dark expensive-looking board and decorating it with various kinds of salad was quite impressive. Well, some ingredients were not pig, in fact: the veal liver pâté was actually quite edible for a liver. The rest was simply great, the brown Grammelschmalz once again being the king of the plate: Tyroleans really know how to make their Schmalz taste good. Two types of long Tyrolean sausages were present – or maybe one type but cut differently – anyway, they did not taste the same. Then, there were Speck, ham, a Wiener sausage (by far the biggest disappointment), some paprika sausage, and a slightly bitter “mountain cheese.” The strangest ingredient was, however, the cold Tafelspitz (boiled beef), replacing the Schweinsbraten. I am not convinced it is a proper replacement, to be certain, but it did account for a bit of surprise.
I am actually in two minds about giving Berghof’s Brettljause seven or eight points. Had I been served anything like this on a mountain with a nice view, eight would be a no-brainer. In a hotel/restaurant atmosphere, everything is a bit “cooled down.” Nevertheless, Berhof’s cook can only be praised for coming up with a Brettljause that is both original and authentic. I hope it stays on their menu longer.
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