Borscht

I find it odd I never posted this before. In my head, I had shared this recipe. But apparently, once again, what happened in my head and what happened in reality have nothing to do with one another. So I'm posting it now, as my entry for this month's In the Bag. I got this recipe from a Belorussian I used to know, who had changed his family's recipe from pork to beef in order to accommodate the dietary needs of his Muslim roommate. The only thing I've changed is the addition of garlic. Enjoy!

12 ounces beef (I used sirloin, but you use what you have), cut into cubes
2 potatoes, cut into large cubes
1-2 bay leaves
pinch salt
2 quarts water
a few whole cloves of garlic (optional)

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 beets, cut into sticks
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 large chopped onion
1 large chopped tomato
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of sugar

Boil the first group of ingredients for 30 minutes, skimming off any foam from the top. Fry the second group of ingredients until the beets are soft. Add all of the second group, including juices, to the first (if needed, add another 2 cups or so of water). Cook 30 minutes or more (this is great for the slow cooker, too, which is what I made it in this time). Serve with sour cream and chopped cilantro. Serves 4.

Comments

  1. Mary Bergfeld4:12 PM

    Allie, this sounds really good and I din't have a good recipe for borscht. I do now.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Allie1:24 PM

    Thanks, Mary! I like the hot, super-filling version better than the cold one, and I hope you also enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Darius T. Williams3:11 PM

    Loving the finished product - looks great!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Allie3:20 PM

    Thanks, Darius!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous5:28 PM

    I made borscht for ITB, too! It's interesting to see the many different varriations of the same idea! Yours looks good!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Allie12:52 PM

    Occasional Martha,

    Thanks! Yours looked really good as well! I agree it's fun to see how everyone makes the exact same dish so very differently!

    ReplyDelete

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