Borscht
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 2 hrs 20 mins
Active: 35 mins
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
By Kate Ramos
Claimed by some to be the ultimate hangover cure, borscht is warming and satisfying. In this version, a rich beef broth is used as the base, making for a full-flavored yet light soup.
Special equipment: If you mind your hands turning red from beet juice, you may want to don plastic gloves before handling the veggies.
- 1 pound cubed beef stew meat
- 1 marrow bone or meaty beef bone
- 1 medium clove garlic, peeled
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped
- 1 medium leek, coarsely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 whole black peppercorns
- 2 quarts water
- 6 medium red beets
- 1/4 head green cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 cup minced fresh dill
- 1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish (optional)
- Combine beef, bone, garlic, carrot, celery, leek, bay leaf, peppercorns, and water in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 2 hours.
- Meanwhile place unpeeled beets in a separate saucepan, cover with water, and cook over medium heat until soft when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly, then peel and medium dice.
- Strain beef mixture, reserving broth and discarding solids. Return broth to the pot and add beets and shredded cabbage. Cook until flavors meld, about 20 minutes more. Season with salt as needed, and serve in bowls garnished with minced dill and a dollop of sour cream.
Beverage pairing: Despite its beefy savoriness, this soup wants a white wine, specifically one that will play to the dill, cabbage, and beets. A fruity and herbaceous (yes they can coexist) Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand comes to mind, something powerful and uncompromising like the Villa Maria 2007, a beautifully balanced and intensely flavorful wine that will hold its own against the hearty soup.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
Roasting the beets first gives the borscht a much deeper flavor and beautiful ruby color. I would also add a handful of dried mushrooms to the broth. They are wonderfully rich and woodsy. This makes it possible to cut down on, or even omit the meat altogether. If meat is used, it should not be discarded, but chopped and added back before serving.
Sounds very good. For a different spin I recommend using more garlic then 1 clove. I usually add about 4. The sweetness of the beets mellow the garlic and add a nice zip to the borsht. Also, I use "flanken", I think it's really short ribs, you can strain, but save these for another part of the meak. The flanken adds a richness to the broth, and a few marrow bones rather then 1. Because for me bones are the best part of the soup!
It should be pointed out that this is a "quick" borscht, and far far far from the more traditional borschts served in Eastern Europe. My grandmother would have died before she would serve anything but a clear borscht. She would boil her beets with whole garlic cloves and sliced onion, maybe even a bunch of dill, then she would pour the lot into a massive jar. The jar would be left open, but covered with cheesecloth and left in a warm, dark place for a week or more to ferment. After the fermentation, she would strain the jar and have a gorgeous base for her borscht. She would mix this with homemade, clear beef broth and serve either with a tradtional, flaky, meaty pastry in the bowl or with sour cream. I just don't get borscht with chunks, it kind of grosses me out... I guess I'm my grandmother's granddaughter.
ballulah- Thats the one I want to make! -can you send me any more info before i accidently poison us . I understand fermentation, but it can get really hot in Buff NY,(well not today as i want borcsht and warm meat pies )
Thank you
@buffaloamy1 - OK, I went back to the source (my mom) for more precise methods for you, and I have to correct myself in a few spots above.
1) Do not cook or boil the beets, I remembered this phase incorrectly. Cut them into quarters (or smaller) and put them in an oversize mason jar - oversize like holds a gallon or more of liquid - with garlic cloves, dill, onion slices, salt and peppercorns - sort of like a pickling brine base. Cover them with hot but not boiling water. On top of the mixture place a slice of real rye bread, it's very important that it's a good quality, true rye bread (a lot of supermarket variety ryes are colored with molasses and have very little actual rye flour in them). Cover the lid of the jar with a cheese cloth. Leave the whole lot in a warm dark place for 5-7 days, it won't hurt anything to go a little longer.
2) When the fermentation is done, carefully strain the liquid. To make the borscht add to broth of your choice, but BE CAREFUL not to boil the borscht itself or you will lose the beautiful color. So boil and prepare your broth or stock, and carefully add the fermented beet juice off the heat.
I wouldn't worry too much about the hot weather. My mother usually makes this at Christmas time, and she puts the beets next to the radiator to ferment.
My mother also said that if you use beets that were fertilized with chemicals, they will not ferment properly. So if you can get organic beets, use those.
ballulah- That was so very nice of you!
I will be out in the country Sat, and will ask the farmer about his produce -if not to the natural food Store here in Buffalo!
I cant wait , my cukes are in for a nice salad and its been cool enough for pastry making !
also, if you like recipes -http://twitter.com/cookbook- she does recipies in 140 characters !
Thank You, again, Amy
Please let me know how it turns out when you try this!
I am from Russia, and we have a saying: there are as many Borscht recipes as there are women. True. Over the years I have seen and tried many of them (recipies, that is),but I am still partial to the one that my mother makes. It is chunky, beautiful colored, and absolutely to die for. And, if anybody is interested, I wouldn't mind sharing the recipe, though it is not an easy one (though not overwhelmingly difficult, either).