Borscht

Borscht and Slavic cuisine is as Barcelona and Gaudi as Gagarin and the space and as New York and the Statue of Liberty. Although borsch is cooked by all Slavic people recipes differ from country to country and even from family to family. Ukrainians like to serve it with home made cured pork belly (Salo), sour cream and, of course, hot garlic buns (Pampushki).

Borscht is a true superfood every Ukrainian grew up on. I grew up eating it regularly and have always loved it. There is nothing like the smell of homemade borscht boiling on the stove and freshly baked garlic buns. This soup is so full of nutrients, you can just feel the vitamins nourishing your body as you eat each delicious spoonful.

Every little girl from former USSR countries was taught how to make borscht first thing. But the point is that you can’t really “learn” how to make borscht since there is no right recipe. There are basics, but everyone would have their own unique yummy borscht. The one they adopt from their parents, or the one they mastered themselves and decided it’s the best one in the world. The art of making borscht comes with experience, with every new pot you make of this aromatic delicious soup.

Today I will share the secrets to my perfect borscht.

Ingredients:

2 lb bone in pork shoulder

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 medium beets, peeled and shredded

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup shredded cabbage

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup beans

1 chili pepper

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

1 tbsp salt

1/4 cup parsley

1/4 cup chives

1 tbsp of pork lard

1 bay leaf and few pepper corns

1 tbsp tomato paste

sour cream for garnishing

I like to make my own stock rather then buying a package of “who-knows-what-it’s-made-of” stock from the grocery store. It’s really easy to do with no effort at home. I made this stock in my pressure cooker which turned out amazing in just short 30 minutes. You just need to season it with salt and add bay leaf with pepper corns. In the meantime shred carrots, beets and chop the onions.

On the hot skillet add 1 tbsp of pork lard, shredded beets, onions and carrots. Once the vegetables become soft and translucent add tomato paste and simmer for 10 minutes.

Once the stock is ready remove the meat from the stock, discard the bones and cut it into 1 inch cubes. Return the meat to the stock, add beans and potatoes and bring to boil. Boil for 20 minutes. Then shred the cabbage and add to the soup together with sautéed vegetables and chili pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes. In the small pot prepare 1 hard boiled egg and chop it into small cubes. Set aside, you will need it for garnishing.

Add parsley and minced garlic to the borscht. Turn off the heat and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Garnish with chopped egg and sour cream. Don’t forget to serve it with pampushki and salo.  Na Zdorov’ye!