Ukrainian borscht

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• ½ kg beef with marrow bone
• ¼ celeriac
• 5 m.-sized onion(s)
• 3 large carrots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 large beetroot
• some tomato paste or pureed tomatoes
• 1 head of pointed cabbage
• 1 bell pepper(s), green or yellow
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 1 bunch of dill
• 1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
• some bread(s), dark
• 3 m.-sized potatoes
• oil
• n. B. vinegar

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours

Beetroot and white cabbage stew

I cook the broth in advance because it takes about 3 hours for the meat to become truly tender. I cover the meat, 3 onions, 2 carrots, and celery in a pot with cold water, add salt, and carefully skim off any foam while the water boils. When the broth is ready, I remove the meat and vegetables. I finely chop the remaining 2 onions and fry them in oil. When they turn golden brown, I push them aside in the pan and add thin slices of the last carrot. Then I also cut the beetroot into thin slices and add them to the pan. After about 5 minutes, I add finely chopped garlic to the vegetables and fry them. It starts to smell really delicious. Then I add crushed tomatoes or tomato paste and stir everything together in the pan. This completes the borscht base. I add this mixture to the broth. I cut the meat into small pieces and add it back to the broth. Then I cut the cleaned bell pepper into thin, medium-length strips. I cut the peeled potatoes into medium-sized pieces. I cut the pointed cabbage into thin, 3-4 cm long strips. Everything goes into the pot and simmers for about 20 minutes. Finally, I finely chop the parsley and dill and add the herbs to the pot as well. I turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper. The borscht should now stand for a few hours; it tastes much better the longer it stands. To serve, I pour the warmed borscht into serving plates and top with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche. If you like, you can season your borscht with a little vinegar at the table. I serve it with toasted brown bread rubbed with garlic and salt.