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Classic Ukrainian Borsht

Type: Soups
Servings: 6
Ready in: 2 hours
Calories: Middle
Tasty and fragrant borsht is the rich Ukrainian cuisine's trademark, in regard this original dish was described in literary works by Ukrainian and Russian classical writers for a reason. You won't find a housewife in Ukraine, who can't cook borsht, although it's not the simplest dish at all. It has plenty of components and complicated cooking technology.
Borsht has many varieties and is cooked differently in different regions of Ukraine. Everything depends on products' combination and they can be very different. However, its main component - beetroot - is used in any kind of borsht without fail. It is beetroot that gives borsht its distinctive red color. Another first course's invariable ingredient is meat: it might be pork, beef or poultry depending on cooker's preferences. There is vegetarian borsht, though, where meat is usually replaced with kidney beans.
Containing multitude of ingredients - mainly meat, various vegetables and seasonings, as well as pork fat with garlic in some recipes - borsht definitely helps to strengthen immune system and keeps from catching cold in winter.
However, Ukrainian borsht's main advantage is its unbelievable taste! Freshly cooked borsht has an incomparable scent, and there is no substitute for its rich taste in the world.
Borsht is regularly served with sour cream and pampushkas with garlic.

Ingredients

Beef on the bone 500 g
Cabbage 1 pieces
Potatoes 5 pieces
Beetroot 1 pieces
Tomato paste 2 tbsp
Carrot 1 pieces
Root parsley 1 pieces
Onions 1 pieces
Celery root 1 pieces
Garlic 3 clove
Salo (pork fat) 20 g
Smetana (sour cream) 150 g
Flour 1 tbsp
Table vinegar 1 tbsp
Bay leaf to taste
Allspice to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Parsley to taste
Dill to taste
Sugar to taste
Dairy butter 50 g

 

Stages of cooking

1
Cook the meat broth. Gather the fat formed during the cooking in the bowl.
2
Peel and rinse the beetroot. Then either shred it finely or grate it coarsely. Add the vinegar, sugar, tomato paste and braise it in fat gathered during cooking of the broth. Braise until half-ready; add a little of broth if necessary.
3
Chop the carrot, celery and parsley roots, slice the onion; and then brown everything in preheated sunflower oil or lard.
4
Put the diced potatoes in the boiling stock; then bring to the boil. Add the shredded cabbage and cook for 10-15 mins. Then add the braised beetroot, browned vegetables, allspice, salt and bay leaf.
5
Brown the flour with a little water or broth in dairy butter. Put it into the broth and cook for 5 mins more.
6
Dress the finished borsht with salted pork fat minced with garlic and parsley. Bring back to the boil and set aside for 15-20 minutes covered with lid.
7
Put the pieces of meat in every plate, drizzle with chopped herbs and dress with sour cream before serving it to the table.

 

 

 

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