Borscht – Submitted by Merlin Suderman
Borscht is not beet soup. Borscht is "clean out the kitchen soup". This recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother, who was born and lived in Russia.
The original recipe called for one large joint bone with lots of fat and some meat, but I've changed that a bit.
I take this to Super Bowl parties cause it's tasty and a great break from chips and dips and chilis. Plus, it's actually low-fat and has great nutritional values.
As Emeril would say, "Yeh, there's a pint of cream in there, but it's gonna serve like 64 people".
2 - 3 lbs. beef or pork roast
1 head of cabbage
2 medium or large onions
6 medium potatoes (diced)
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 pint cream
Salt
Pepper
6-8 Bay leaves
6 - 8 Whole Allspice
10 - 12 Peppercorns
In a 12-quart saucepan...
Boil the meat for an hour to an hour and a half. Add water as needed to keep the meat covered. Remove meat from broth and set aside.
Dice onions and add to simmering broth. Chop cabbage into spoon-size pieces and add to broth.
Put 6 - 8 bay leaves, 10 - 12 peppercorns, 6 - 8 whole allspice into a tied cheesecloth or a tea-ball or other container that will allow the flavors to get into the broth and allow removal of the seasonings. Place in broth.
Add about 2 teaspoons salt and about 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Taste broth and adjust seasonings if needed.
Add tomatoes to broth. Remove fat from meat and cut into 1/4" - 1/2" dice.
When the cabbge is just tender (about 30 - 45 minutes) add diced potatoes and meat to broth. Taste broth and adjust seasonings if needed. Consider another teaspoon of salt.
Insure there is enough liquid to cover and cook the potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are just tender (about 30 minutes). Taste broth and add salt and/or pepper if needed. Reduce heat and add cream before serving. Do not boil after cream is added.
It is traditional to add 1/2 to 1 tsp of cider (brown) vinegar to an 8-oz serving .
Now, about the beets. Beet leaves make an acceptable substitute for cabbage in the recipe, but never NEVER ever put beets in Borscht.