Armed with a healthy dose of vodka and the better part of the afternoon free, I'm making Borsch and pierogis.
Borsch
(Adapated from "Russian Borscht" posted by Olga Thomas at http://www.ukraineorphans.net/id51.html)
Ingredients
3 liters of really good beef stock
1 lb of beef stew meat (cubed)
1.5 lbs of beets (peeled and par-boiled)
4 potatoes (peeled and cubed)
4 slices of cooked bacon (chopped and fat reserved)
1 lb of tomatoes
1 onion (chopped)
1 cup of cabbage (shredded)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
1 carrot (sliced)
1 lemon
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tbsp dried dill
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Method:
In a dutch oven, brown the meat in 1.5 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Set aside to dry.
Bring the stock to a boil in the dutch oven and add tomatoes, potatoes and salt & pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Saute the onions, bell pepper and carrots in 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Add to the stock.
Chop the beets and sprinkle juice of one lemon over them. Add to the stock.
Add the tomato paste, stew meat, honey, parsley, dill, bacon fat, salt and pepper to the stock and simmer for 2.5 hours.
Puree 1/2 of the soup so you get a relatively smooth consistency but there are still vegetable and meat pieces.
Serve in bowls topped with dill, 1 tbsp plain yogurt and 1 tsp of bacon pieces.
Pierogi
Borsch Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Tony--"If I'm ever stuck in Siberia in the dead of winter I'd happily welcome a bowl of Borsch."
The soup is incredibly hearty. Don't eat this during summer but instead when the temperature is unreasonably cold and there's a fire going in the living room.
Pierogi Rating: 7 out of 10
I chose the potato and cheese filling (because I had left over potatoes and cheese) but I think they would have been tastier with a different filling.
Borsch
(Adapated from "Russian Borscht" posted by Olga Thomas at http://www.ukraineorphans.net/id51.html)
Ingredients
3 liters of really good beef stock1 lb of beef stew meat (cubed)
1.5 lbs of beets (peeled and par-boiled)
4 potatoes (peeled and cubed)
4 slices of cooked bacon (chopped and fat reserved)
1 lb of tomatoes
1 onion (chopped)
1 cup of cabbage (shredded)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
1 carrot (sliced)
1 lemon
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp fresh parsley
2 tbsp dried dill
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil
Method:
In a dutch oven, brown the meat in 1.5 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Set aside to dry.
Bring the stock to a boil in the dutch oven and add tomatoes, potatoes and salt & pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Saute the onions, bell pepper and carrots in 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and continue cooking for 10 minutes. Add to the stock.
Chop the beets and sprinkle juice of one lemon over them. Add to the stock.
Add the tomato paste, stew meat, honey, parsley, dill, bacon fat, salt and pepper to the stock and simmer for 2.5 hours.
Puree 1/2 of the soup so you get a relatively smooth consistency but there are still vegetable and meat pieces. Serve in bowls topped with dill, 1 tbsp plain yogurt and 1 tsp of bacon pieces.
Pierogi
Borsch Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Tony--"If I'm ever stuck in Siberia in the dead of winter I'd happily welcome a bowl of Borsch."
The soup is incredibly hearty. Don't eat this during summer but instead when the temperature is unreasonably cold and there's a fire going in the living room.Pierogi Rating: 7 out of 10
I chose the potato and cheese filling (because I had left over potatoes and cheese) but I think they would have been tastier with a different filling.
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