Recipes

Beef, Beet and Cabbage Borscht

Name: Beef, Beet and Cabbage Borscht
Total time: 240 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 3 pounds English-cut beef short ribs; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 8 cups beef stock, chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth; 1/2 tablespoon juniper berries; 1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns; 1/2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds; 2 dill sprigs; 2 oregano sprigs; 2 parsley sprigs; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 beets (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and diced; 1 small rutabaga (1/2 pound), peeled and diced; 1 leek, diced; 1 small onion, diced (1 cup); 1/2 pound carrots, diced; 2 celery ribs, diced; 1/2 head savoy cabbage (1 pound), cored and shredded; Half of a 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes and their juices; 1/2 cup dry red wine; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar; Kosher salt; Freshly ground pepper; Sour cream, chopped dill and grated horseradish, for serving

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Andrew Zimmern’s Kitchen AdventuresThis was all I ever wanted to eat growing up, and I still crave it more than I care to admit. This Eastern European cabbage soup is really more of a schi than a borscht, but why quibble over names? In America in the ’60s, unless you were Russian, this was borscht. Funny how that works. It’s a meal in a bowl to be sure, but small portions are a great starter. I have been making this for decades; it’s a battle-tested classic. —Andrew Zimmern Slideshow: Hearty Stews

By

Andrew Zimmern

Updated on May 31, 2017

Beef, Beet and Cabbage Borscht — Photo: © Stephanie Meyer

Active Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs

Yield:

6 to 8

Ingredients

short ribs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds English-cut beef short ribs
1/2 cup dry red wine
8 cups beef stock, chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth

borscht

1/2 tablespoon juniper berries
1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon whole coriander seeds
2 dill sprigs
2 oregano sprigs
2 parsley sprigs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 beets (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and diced
1 small rutabaga (1/2 pound), peeled and diced
1 leek, diced
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1/2 pound carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 head savoy cabbage (1 pound), cored and shredded
Half of a 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes and their juices
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Sour cream, chopped dill and grated horseradish, for serving

Directions

prepare the short ribs

In a heavy medium pot, heat the oil. Add the short ribs and cook until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. Transfer the short ribs to a baking sheet and let cool. Strain the broth through a fine sieve. Discard the beef bones and dice the meat.

meanwhile, prepare the borscht

Wrap the juniper berries, peppercorns, coriander seeds, dill, oregano and parsley sprigs in a double layer of cheesecloth and tie tightly into a bundle. In a large pot, melt the butter. Add the beets, rutabaga, leek, onion, carrots, celery, cabbage and the herb-spice bundle. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the cabbage is wilted, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and simmer for 2 minutes.
Stir in the strained beef broth and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the vinegar and the chopped meat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the borscht with sour cream, chopped dill and horseradish.