Shared by Shifra Klein
Shared by Shifra Klein
Borscht With Beef
Yield: 8-10 servings
Borscht With Beef
Yield: 8-10 servingsFamily Journey
Outside of MoscowKiryat Malakhi, Israel
New York City
Read more about Shifra and her family in "From Russia, to Israel, to Brooklyn, The Borscht That’s Always on This Family’s Stove."
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 pounds flanken beef with bones
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 beets, scrubbed and rinsed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch pieces
- 3 medium yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ head green cabbage, quartered, core removed and thinly sliced
- Fresh dill for garnish
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large pot, over medium high heat. Season meat on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Once the oil is sizzling add the meat and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes per side.
Step 2
Place the whole unpeeled beets into the pot with the meat along with enough water to cover the beets and meat completely. Place a lid on the pot and bring the mixture to a boil, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking over a gentle simmer for 40 minutes, until beets are tender enough to peel, skimming off any white scum that floats to the surface occasionally.
Step 3
When the beets are tender enough to peel, remove them from the pot and let them cool slightly. Peel the beets using a towel or gloves. Grate the beets using a box grater and return them to the pot.
Step 4
Add the onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes, green peppers, bay leafs and 2 ½ teaspoons of salt. Add more water if necessary to cover the vegetables. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid and simmer for 1 hour.
Step 5
Reserve 1 tablespoon of tomato paste aside. Add the remaining tomato paste, lemon juice, and sugar in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Add the mixture to the pot along with the shredded cabbage. Continue cooking the soup covered and over a simmer for 30 more minutes, until the cabbage is tender and takes on the borscht’s purple hue. Turn off the heat.
Step 6
Remove the meat from the soup. Allow the meat to cool enough to handle and shred the meat with your hands or a fork. Discard the meat bones. Place the shredded meat back into the pot with the reserved tablespoon of tomato paste and stir well. Place the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue simmering the soup covered for another 15 minutes.
Step 7
Serve the borscht hot and garnish with a few sprigs of fresh dill.
