Old Time Borscht Recipes

BORSCH (((AUTHENTIC UKRAINIAN CLASSIC BORSCH)))

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place the diced bacon or panchetta in a Dutch oven or stockpot and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat, until the fat begins to render, about 3 minutes.
• Add the beef and continue to cook, stirring, until the beef is brown on all sides, about 6 minutes.
• Remove both meats from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Add the onions and carrot to the fat in the Dutch oven or stockpot and stir to coat.
• Cook until soft, about 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic, oregano, dill seeds and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Add the red wine vinegar and stir to deglaze the pot.
• Return both meats to the pot and add the water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, place the beets on a baking sheet and brush with the oil.
• Roast until tender and can be pierced easily with a fork or knife, about 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• When the beets are cool enough to handle, trim the stem and root ends and remove the skins.
• Coarsely grate or chop and set aside.
• When the meat is tender and falling apart, add the beets, potatoes, cabbage, parsley, tomato paste and celery salt or seeds and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes.
• Season with additional red wine vinegar, salt, freshly ground black pepper and sugar to taste.
• Ladle borsch into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of fresh dill.
• Also, serve with Russian black bread.

BOBCHA'S POLISH BORSCHT

Steps:

• In a large pot combine the spare ribs, onion, bay leaf and peppercorns, vinegar and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the meat is tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. In another pot, cover the scrubbed beets with water and bring to a boil. Simmer the beets for 45 To 1 hour or until the beets are tender. Drain and rinse the beets under cold water until they are cool. Peel and grate the beets.
• When the meat is tender, Remove the bones and strip off the meat in bite size pieces. Return the meat to the broth and stir in the grated beets. Season the soup with salt and pepper. In a large bowl stir together the sour cream, milk and flour. Add two cups of the hot stock to the sour cream mixture and stir to combine. Pour this mixture through a strainer into the soup. Heat the soup over medium heat at a gentle simmer, but do not allow it to boil. Boiling will cause the sour cream to curdle. Serve immediately with boiled potatoes and pumpernickel or rye bread

GRAND BORSCHT

Steps:

• Combine the stock, carrot, celery, whole onion, beef, ham hock if you're using it, bay leaf, and beans in a stockpot; bring to a boil, then cover partially and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily. Cook until the meat and beans are very tender, at least 2 hours. Remove the bay leaf and vegetables and discard. Remove the beef and cool, then cut it into chunks. If you used the ham hock, remove the meat from the bone; reserve the meat and discard the bone. (This can all be done days in advance; cover and refrigerate until you're ready to proceed.)
• Meanwhile, add the beets and potatoes to the stock along with the beef and ham and simmer while you proceed with the recipe.
• Put the butter in a large skillet and turn the heat to high. When it melts, add the chopped onions, garlic, and cabbage, along with a large pinch of salt and a sprinkling of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and cabbage are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes more. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar.
• Add the onion-cabbage mixture to the bubbling stock, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish and serve hot, passing the sour cream at the table.

ROASTED BORSCHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large glass roasting pan, combine shredded vegetables, oil, a teaspoon of salt and the pepper and mix well. Sprinkle ribs with the remaining teaspoon of salt and place them on top of the vegetables. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring the vegetables every 15 minutes.
• Place the roasted ingredients in a large pot and add the beet greens, broccoli rabe, Swiss chard, spinach, parsley, escarole and 8 cups of boiling water. Put the pot, covered, in the oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 1 hour.
• Remove soup from the oven. Remove the beef and set aside. Skim the fat from the soup and return the pot to the oven for another hour. Separate the meat from the bones, discard the fat and gristle, and chop the meat into 1/2-inch pieces. Return the meat to the pot.
• Place the bread on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven for 5 minutes. Add the bread to the soup for the last 20 minutes of cooking. Season the soup to taste with more salt and pepper. Serve garnished with nondairy sour cream if desired.

RUSSIAN BORSCHT

Steps:

• Place the first six ingredients in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute beets in 1 tablespoon oil for 3 minutes. stir in vinegar; set aside. Remove beef with a slotted spoon; cool. Remove meat from the bones; discard bones. Cut meat into chunks; set aside. strain broth, discarding peppercorns and bay leaves. Skim fat. Add enough water to broth to measure 6 cups; return to kettle. Add potatoes, carrots, cabbage, parsley and beets. Bring to a boil., In a skillet, saute onion in remaining oil for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle with flour; stir until blended. Whisk into soup. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. add tomatoes. process soup in small batches in a blender or food processor; pour into a large saucepan. Add beef; heat through. Garnish with sour cream.

BORSCHT II

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium heat, brown beef in oil. Stir in onion and water, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 2 hours, until meat is tender.
• Remove meat from broth and set aside to cool slightly. Stir carrots, celery, cabbage, beets, tomato juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper into broth. When meat is cool enough to handle, cut meat from bone and into bite-size pieces and return to soup. Simmer until vegetables are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

BORSCH

Steps:

• To make the stock, put the meat, whole onion, bay leaf and 2 litres of lightly salted cold water in a large saucepan. Cook over a very low heat for 1 hr 30 mins or until the beef shin is soft and falls apart easily - this can take up to 3 hrs. Skim off the scum with a spoon from time to time. Break up any larger pieces of beef into the broth, remove the whole onion and discard.
• Add the potatoes to the borscht, season well with salt and pepper and cook for 10-15 mins until tender. Meanwhile, heat the sunflower oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the diced onion and carrot, and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the carrot is soft and is about to start caramelising.
• Add the beetroot and cook for around 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the red pepper, if using, and cook for another 2 mins, then add the tomatoes and prunes, stir, then increase the heat and boil to reduce slightly, before adding everything to the borscht.
• Add the shredded cabbage and the kidney beans, and cook for 7-10 mins or until tender. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche, lots of chopped dill and some crusty bread.

COLD BORSCHT

Steps:

• Using a food processor, pulse beets until finely chopped. Transfer to a large saucepan and add onion, salt and 2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) water. Place over high heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until onion is tender, about 40 minutes. Add sugar and lemon juice, and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove onion and discard. Pour soup into a heatproof container and allow to cool to room temperature. Adjust salt, sugar and lemon juice to taste. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled, with chilled boiled potatoes added to soup, if desired. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

OLD TIME BORSCHT

Steps:

• I sometimes use spare ribs or soup bone. Put them in a pot. Cover with water. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until meat is tender. If using hamburger, brown in soup pot then add water for soup.
• Add onion, carrot, cabbage, beet and barley. Simmer until vegetables are cooked.
• Add beet leaves, peas, salt, pepper, vinegar and dill weed. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
• Stir in whipping cream. If you don't have whipping cream you can use milk or nothing.
• Pass sour cream around the table so people can put a spoonful (or two) on top in their bowls. YUM YUM!

FAMILY BORSCHT RECIPE BY ANDREW RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl and pour in enough water to cover. Let soak for 20-30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and plumped. Working over the bowl, squeeze any excess water from the mushrooms. Reserve the soaking liquid, and chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
• Trim and peel the beets, then grate on the large holes of a box grater. You should have about 8 cups grated beets. Set aside.
• Make a bouquet garni: Place the peppercorns, allspice, garlic, and bay leaves on a double-layer square of cheesecloth. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth around the spices and set aside.
• In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, and celery. Season with salt and cook until the vegetables have softened, 5-8 minutes.
• Add the water, grated beets, chopped mushrooms and reserved soaking liquid, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the beets are tender.
• Add the potato and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes, then add the carrots and cook until tender, 10 minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and pickled beets. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender. Stir in the dill, then remove the pot from the heat.
• Ladle the borscht into bowls. Garnish with dill and serve with rye bread and sour cream, if using.
• Enjoy!