Latvian Borschtaka Ukrainian Borshch Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Heat the stock in a large soup pot, add cabbage and potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
• In the meantime, mix the beets, vinegar, bacon fat, sugar, and tomatoes in a saucepan and cook gently, covered, for about 5 minutes.
• Set aside.
• Then, in another small pan, heat the butter, mix in the onion, carrot, and parsley root (or parsnip), and braise.
• When the cabbage and potatoes are finished simmering, add the beet mixture, the onion mixture, the peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves--and cook another 10 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped garlic, the remaining bacon fat, and the chopped parsley.
• Then turn the heat down to a very low simmer, lightly cover the pot, and simmer very slowly for about 4½ hours.
• Turn off the heat, let cool, and allow to ripen for about 12-18 hours.
• When ready to serve, reheat gently then ladle into bowls.
• Top each with a teaspoonful of sour cream and serve with a slice of dark rye bread.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cover the beets with cold water by l inch. Stir in 1/4 cup of the vinegar and 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel the beets. Dice the beets and set aside.
• Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the celery, leeks, garlic, and caraway seeds and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes.
• Tie the parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot with the beets, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes to bring the flavors together.
• Stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons vinegar and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Season with pepper to taste. To serve divide among warm soup bowls, top with dollops of the sour cream and sprinkle with the dill. Serve with additional vinegar at the table.

Steps:

• In a large casserole combine meats with broth or water, bay leaf, peppercorns and allspice, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, skimming frequently, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Strain soup, reserving broth and meats separately. Remove meat from the ham hocks, discarding any gristle or bone and cut it into dice. Cut beef into cubes. Return meat and broth to casserole and add beets, vinegar, tomato mors or paste and sugar; simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
• In a skillet set over moderate heat melt butter, add carrot, pepper, onion and salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened; add to casserole. Add potatoes and shredded cabbage to casserole and simmer 10 minutes. Add kielbasa and simmer 5 minutes more. Stir in kvass to taste, dill and garlic and let stand 10 minutes. Serve soup with slices of roasted goose, dill sprigs and sour cream for garnish.

Steps:

• In a 5-6 quart pot, bring meat and water to boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer and skim of foam. When foam stops rising, add salt, carrot, 1/4 celery root, whole onion and allspice; simmer gently, partially covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat falls of the bone. Preheat oven to 400°F. Scub beets, wrap in foil and bake for an hour, or until just tender. Poke through foil with skewer to check for doneness. Peel beets; shred on coarse side of grater. When meat is very tender, remove, strip off bones, and cut into small cubes. Place in bowl; cover with foil. Strain broth. Rinse out pot. Place pot over medium heat, warm butter, and saute onion 2-3 minutes. Add cubed celery root, parsips, turnips and carrot. Saute 5 minutes. Add strained broth, potatoes and shredded beets. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Just before serving, while soup is simmering gently, stir in garlic and lemon juice. Remove from heat immediately. Serve pipping hot in flat bowls with dollop of sour cream and generous sprinkling of parsley and dill.

Steps:

• Gently cook the onion and garlic in butter in a large saucepan until tender.
• Cook beets for about 10-15 minutes in boiling water or stock, then add the carrots. Boil for another 10-15 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and dill. When potatoes are still firm (but not hard), add cabbage and beet leaves.
• Add celery, sausage and tomatoes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Add peas, sour cream (stirring out the lumps) and salt. Simmer, half covered, until remaining vegetables are tender (but not mushy).
• Stir in vinegar and serve hot.

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, brown bacon and render fat.
• Add beef and brown.
• Cut the onion, carrot and celery in half cross-wise and add to pot with beef.
• Also add beets whole with skin, shredded cabbage and water.
• Add pepper corns and bay leaves.
• Bring to boil, then turn heat to medium low, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
• After an hour of cooking start boiling potatoes whole (skin on or off your choice) in a separate pot until soft (45 minutes).
• When soup is ready turn off heat, with a slotted spoon remove the celery carrot and beets.
• Discard celery and carrots or use for something else.
• Leave beets on a separate plate or bowl until cool enough to handle (10 min).
• Peel and grate beets back into the soup pot.
• Add grated carrot.
• Bring soup back to boil.
• Add vinegar and lemon juice.
• Cook 5 minutes longer.
• To serve place a boiled potato in bowl and ladle soup on top.
• Add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl.
• Enjoy.

Steps:

• FOR THE STOCK: In a large soup pot, bring the meat, bones, and water to a boil over high heat, periodically skimming off the foam as it rises to the top.
• Add the remaining stock ingredients and reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer, partially covered, until the meat is tender, at least 45 minutes.
• When the stock is ready, remove the beef, pork, and marrow bones, and set all but the marrow bones aside.
• Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a clean large pot and discard all the solids.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Meanwhile, wash and dry the beets and wrap each one separately in aluminum foil.
• Bake the beets until tender, 1 1/4 hours.
• Do this while the stock is cooking.
• FOR THE SOUP: Allow the beets to cool until manageable, then stem and peel them and cut into julienne or fine dice.
• Bring the stock to a boil, add the cabbage and cook for 15 minutes, add the potatoes, onion, carrots, peppers and cook for 20 more minutes, add beets and tomatoes, and tomato paste.
• Season to taste with sugar, pepper, and additional lemon juice and salt.
• Simmer for 15 more minutes.
• Cut the beef into bite-size pieces and scrape all the meat off the bones.
• Add meat to the soup.
• Simmer for 15 more minutes.
• Remove the borsch from the heat and sprinkle with the minced garlic, bacon (if desired), and 3 tablespoons each parsley and dill.
• Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Serve with sour cream.
• Serves 12 to 14.