Ukrainian or Russian borscht

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 4 liters of water
• 1 kg beef with marrow bone or shin and beef goulash
• 1 large beetroot or two small ones
• 3 m.-sized potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 large onion(s)
• 1 bell pepper(s), red
• 3 tomatoes or some tomato paste
• ½ small white cabbage
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ lemon(s), juice
• 6 allspice berries
• 3 bay leaves
• Vegetable oil for frying
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup sour cream, approx. 200 g
• ½ tsp paprika powder or a chili pepper
• Herbs, fresh e.g. garlic leaves, parsley, dill, optional

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 4 hours; Total time approx. 5 hours

Cut the meat into small pieces, if it isn’t already cut into small pieces (or do the same for the leg of shank if necessary). Heat oil in a large pot, add the meat and bones, and fry over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir the meat frequently; don’t overcook it; it should stay juicy! Add the required amount of water, add salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer the meat. Peel the beetroot. Skim off the foam from the cooking water. Add the peeled beetroot. Then continue to simmer, covered, until the meat begins to soften. This can take 2 to 3 hours, depending on the quality of the meat. Peel the potatoes and carrots. Cut the carrots into spoon-sized strips and the potatoes into pieces. Dice the onion. Dice the bell pepper and tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan. Sauté the diced onions. Add the carrots, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and sauté, stirring frequently. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, first slice the destemmed white cabbage and then cut these into spoon-sized strips. Remove the vegetables from the pan and add to the meat. Add the potatoes, cabbage, bay leaves, and allspice berries to the pot. If using tomato paste, add it now. Cover and simmer the soup for another 20 to 30 minutes. 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time, remove the beets and let them cool. During this time, peel and press the garlic cloves. Finely grate the beets and add the crushed garlic. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the beets (remove the lemon pips if necessary). Add the beets to the pot with the garlic and lemon juice, stir, and bring to a boil. Season the soup to taste and add salt and pepper if desired. If you like it spicier, add half a teaspoon of paprika or a chili pepper. Serve the borscht in soup bowls with a tablespoon of sour cream. Fresh herbs such as garlic leaves, parsley, or dill can also be sprinkled on top. Traditionally, borscht is preceded by drinking vodka, biting into a pickle, and always eaten with fresh bread (not white bread!), either spread with butter or sour cream, or rubbed with a clove of garlic and salt. Like many stews, borscht tastes best reheated after the second day, when it has been left to stand. The borscht should be thick enough that a spoon can stand upright in the pot.