Borscht

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• ½ kg beef, with bone
• 1 root(s) parsley
• celery
• 2 large beetroots
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 carrots
• 1 large bell pepper(s)
• 1 small can of tomatoes
• 200 g white cabbage
• 5 m.-sized potatoes
• 3 cloves garlic
• 50 g lard
• Bay leaf

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 hours; Total time approx. 5 hours 35 minutes

This is the official recipe according to the chef of the famous Moscow restaurant “Slavyansk Bazaar.” I’ve added a few small comments here and there. Place the beef in a three-liter saucepan. Add parsley root, a little celery, and salt to the broth. Finely chop the beets, drizzle with vinegar or lemon juice, and simmer in a pan with butter or oil for 20 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and simmer for another 15 minutes. (If the beets are particularly sour, you can also add a tablespoon of sugar.) Finely chop the onion and carrots. Fry the onion until light brown, add the peppers and carrots, and simmer until a nice golden color. When the meat is cooked, remove it and cut it into small pieces. (You can divide the chopped meat between plates when serving, or return it to the pot when the borscht is ready. Now chop the potatoes, add them to the pot with the broth along with the beets and tomatoes, and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes. The potatoes should be almost done when you add the chopped cabbage, onion, carrots, bell peppers, and (if you like) garlic, lard, and bay leaf to the broth. (I make it without lard.) The borscht is ready. But to get the true flavor, it needs to stand in a warm place for a few hours. (Or you can simply warm it up in a few hours or the next day.) Serve borscht with chopped fresh herbs (parsley and dill), sour cream, and red bell pepper (I probably mean hot paprika; my grandfather liked it just like that).