There are many ways to reach Mostheuriger Steurer Gutenmann. The simplest and the most logical one is with a car, preferably being driven by someone who does not drink. A reasonably comfortable one is walking from Grünbach am Schneeberg – a bit long and tiring, but absolutely manageable. The unconventional – or should I say stupid? – one is from the town of Ternitz. Probably it is not so bad, simply lengthy, if you spend some time studying maps before you depart. And study the maps you must, or at least make sure you download all the necessary Google maps well in advance, as the mobile connection around the area is non-existent. If you don’t, you will probably end up like me, eventually stumbling across a sign telling you that your destination is mere 45 minutes away, then taking a wrong turn and ending up walking 500 meters down the mountain, another 45 minutes nearly running along an asphalt road, and then 45 minutes climbing up again, hoping to read the Heuriger before the sunset.
I’ve reached it before the sunset, but only just. I’ve then realized that there was no way I could find a table inside this tiny tavern. So I’ve ordered my Brettljause and two mugs of Most (so that I did not have to come back to reorder) and tried to make myself comfortable at a tiny table standing outside for smokers, doing my best to ignore the concerned people passing by and asking whether it was not too cold.
Well, it was. Within five minutes, as the dusk changed to dark, I started to freeze, like, seriously. Reading or playing with the phone being out of question, I concentrated on eating the Brettljause as quickly as possible, and was quite happy when a friendly red cat from the nearby farm approached my table with the full intention of sharing my meal. Having fed the cat all the cartilage pieces, quite a lot of fat and a few perfectly good pieces of meat (he completely rejected the tough Speck skin though), I’ve decided to get something in return, grabbed the beast and put it, content and purring, on my lap. I got warmer, but only a bit.
The Brettljause was better than the already impressive Bergbauernjause that I had had the pleasure of tasting in May. With the liver spread and the blood sausage finished first, the remaining ingredients were both varied and highly enjoyable. The Schmalz as extremely fat and might put some people away at first, but one would do well to persist. The only forgettable part was the salami – too bland to leave any impression. The hard Hauswurst, on the other hand, was great: dry, but not too much, salty, but not excessively – just perfect.
The cartilage could have annoyed me a bit, but fortunately, the cat sorted that out with great efficiency. What remained was a wonderfully authentic Brettljause, very different from what I had eaten at the same place five months ago, but very good at its own. I regret that I was too frozen at the end to study their menu for the other treats they may have, so that I could pay them another visit next year. I guess I simply have to come and find out.
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