Pumpkinland

If South Styria is famous for its white wine, The South East Styria, also called the Vulcanland, can pride itself of at least two other things: pumpkin oil and the Vulcano ham. Somehow I forgot about that when upon my arrival in Bad Radkersburg – a small town on the border with Slovenia – I walked into Metzgerwirt, which attracted me by its name that literally means “butchery.” What could be a better way to start a weekend in Styria than to try a Brettljause with ingredients straight from a butcher? Actually, the butcher shop was next door to the restaurant, so my expectations were quite high.

True to the establishment’s name, the plate I got was full of meat. There was no cheese at all, in fact, and the little bowl that usually holds spreads in a “normal” Heuriger was full of pumpkin oil with lots of pumpkin seeds and a tiny useless slice of egg swimming in it. Frankly, I was not sure what to do with the oil, for dipping ham and salami in it seemed stupid, while pouring it over my salad was pointless as it was already swimming in the stuff.

Leaving the oil aside to finish it with bread, I concentrated on the meats. As expected, the quality was easy to appreciate. The traditional Volcano ham was world-class, but the dry type (seen at the top of the picture), though authentic, was almost unpleasantly salty. The best part was the fat-only white Speck, noticeable in the top right corner of the photo. I do have a slight problem of eating pure fat, but when it comes from a quality Mangalitza pig and is perfectly cured, it’s a delight. I quite liked the salamis, too, although having two nearly identical types of them, one containing pumpkin seeds and the other not, looked a bit of a cheating.

The general lack of variety is the main criticism I have about Metzgerwirt. The dish was very nice to eat, but all its ingredients tasted too similar to leave a lasting impression. Unless, like me, you visit Metzgerwirt alone, I suggest you take one “Spezialteller” to share as a starter and then go for a burger or something else from the restaurant’s extensive menu. I am quite sure one can find more exciting things in it than the Brettljause I ate.