Indeed, there are not just two or two hundred ways to prepare borscht, and certainly not one million and two. As many people as there are who make borscht, that many ways exist. I will share only those methods that I have adopted for myself. Whether you choose to incorporate any of these methods is entirely up to you.
Ingredients for “Borscht: Two Ways”:
- Beef – 750 g
- Pork – 750 g
- Water – 2500 ml
- Onion – 2 pieces
- Carrot – 1 piece
- Butter – 1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil – 3 tbsp
- Greens – 1 bunch
- Black pepper – 1/2 tsp
- Dried root vegetables – 1 tbsp
- Bay leaf – 1 piece
- Potatoes – 4 pieces
- Beets – 2 pieces
- White cabbage (or sauerkraut) – 700 g
- Tomato – 3 pieces
- Garlic – to taste
Cooking time: 180 minutes
Servings: 12
For the broth:
First of all, I recommend the broth preparation method very responsibly, and I stand by the results. For the borscht, it’s good to take equal parts of pork and beef, preferably with bones. I usually calculate about 500 grams of meat per liter of water, plus an extra half liter of water as a technical reserve.
So let’s say: one kilogram (I usually take about 1.2 kg or a bit more) of meat (equal parts beef and pork) requires two and a half liters of water. I wash the meat well, then pour in a small amount of water and bring it to a vigorous boil over high heat. I keep it boiling for a couple of minutes (constantly monitoring the process so it doesn’t boil over) and then drain this scum along with the water.
I rinse the meat in cold water and wash the pot. To the meat, I add a small onion (unpeeled), a carrot, a bunch of greens, half a teaspoon of mixed pepper, a bay leaf, and a tablespoon of a mixture of dried root vegetables for the broth. I pour in the aforementioned liters of cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to just below medium. The broth should not be “boiled”!!! On very low heat, allowing for rare bubbles, I simmer the broth for at least two hours.
The pot lid should be partially covered. As a result, you’ll have a clean, transparent broth. It will definitely be above average in fat content. Whether to strain the finished broth or not is up to you. I take the meat out of the broth and cut it into pieces that can be conveniently placed in each eater’s bowl.
I peel and chop four medium-sized potatoes into large pieces. I return them to the broth and simmer for about half an hour until the potatoes are cooked. That’s all about the broth! Now for the borscht dressing, i.e., the essence of it.
First option:
I wash a couple of beets, wrap them in foil, and bake them in the oven. I try not to rush this, so I bake them for about an hour and a half at a temperature of 90-100 degrees Celsius. The result looks like this. I chop the beets into cubes (or sticks) and dress them with lemon juice. This is beneficial for both the color and the flavor of the borscht.
Cabbage:
Use about 600-700 grams, finely chop it, and add it to the broth. Slightly increase the heat, bring to a boil, and then return to simmering until the cabbage is “almost ready.” While the cabbage simmers, I prepare the borscht dressing.
I chop the onion and sauté it in a mixture of butter and vegetable oil until translucent. I grate one carrot on a coarse grater and add it to the onion in the skillet. As soon as the carrot softens slightly, I add the beets. Sauté on low heat for about 15-20 minutes and then add the tomatoes. If you don’t have good fresh tomatoes, you can use canned ones “in their own juice” or, as a last resort, tomato paste.
Gently stir and simmer (or stew) on low heat until you get the flavor of “ready roasted tomato.” There shouldn’t be any flavor of “uncooked” vegetables in the dressing. After that, I add the dressing to the broth with the cabbage and simmer for another half hour on medium heat. That’s it. You’ll get an aromatic, wonderful borscht without any mashed, leftover, garlic-flavored fat from last year (which is a shame to throw away).
The second option:
When I realized that my favorite sour cabbage soup (philologists, please be quiet!) is best made the way our ancestors invented – with simmered dressing! – I decided to try (not knowing about this borscht technology) applying this method to borscht.
It seems at first glance to be the same as described above, but… It turns out to be tastier and richer, both in aroma and flavor. In short, it turns out to be more “borscht-like.” In a cast-iron pot with a mixture of butter and vegetable oil, I sauté the coarsely chopped onion until translucent.
First, I add the beets, cut into small sticks. I mix them and dress with lemon juice. I put the pot in the oven and set it to 100 degrees Celsius. After an hour, I add about 700 grams of sauerkraut. Here’s the thing: if the sauerkraut is old and very sour, it’s better to rinse it. It might not be necessary to rinse completely, but excess acidity in the borscht is undesirable.
Fresh cabbage can be used instead of sauerkraut, of course, but I prefer sauerkraut when I have it. Another hour later, I add a couple of good ripe tomatoes to the pot, but they must be “good and ripe.”
If they are out of season or you don’t have such tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes in their own juice or a tablespoon of tomato paste as a last resort. Simmer for another half hour, but it’s better to rely on the aroma coming from the pot. All vegetables should be “cooked,” i.e., well stewed. There shouldn’t be anything left to cook later. If the dressing starts cooking with the broth simultaneously, then everything in the pot will be ready to accept the contents of the cast-iron pot.
The dressing in the pot looks something like this. I pour the dressing into the pot. Gently stir and balance the salt and pepper.
Another half hour (but you should taste it), and the borscht will be ready. I like the borscht to be “pure.” You shouldn’t spoil the borscht essence of the contents.