As the cold and dreary days of late January and February approach, the thought of a bowl of hearty and warming soup becomes especially appealing. When I was a kid, my Aunt Gertie, who loved to cook, would often talk about hot beef borscht with garlic — a dish that she remembered from her childhood. Although her taste memory of it was vivid, she was never able to make a version that matched the one she remembered.
What follows is my attempt at a borscht that matches the one that Aunt Gertie so fondly remembered. During colder months, we used to serve this as a staff meal at Chanterelle. Though I’m quite happy with the recipe, I always wish I could have tasted original.
Aunt Gertie’s Hot Beef Borscht
Serves 6-8 as a main course
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds beef brisket
- 5 cups veal stock
- 3 tablespoons chicken or duck fat
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3 quarts chicken stock
- 5 cups peeled and shredded raw beets (5-6 large beets)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 6 cups shredded cabbage, preferably savoy
- 7 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
- Sour cream for garnish (not optional)
Preparation:
- Place beef in a large saucepot and add the veal stock. Add water if needed to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the beef is tender, about two hours. Let the beef cool in the broth. Drain the meat — reserving the broth — and cut into half-inch dice.
- Heat the fat in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the broth from the beef and the chicken stock, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add beets and lemon juice. Simmer, uncovered, until the beets are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Add beef and cabbage, bring back to a simmer and cook until cabbage is soft and beef is heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with the sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper and caraway seeds (if desired). Simmer for a few more minutes to let the flavors blend, then taste and adjust seasoning as desired — the borscht should be sweet, sour and peppery. Serve topped with sour cream.
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