Mike Mazur's Chunky Polish Beef Borscht
Why I Love This Recipe
My step grandfather was Polish and he said this was one of his mother's recipes he loved. She was born in Poland.
Ingredients You'll Need
Large stock pot
Bone in Beef Shank or lg marrow bone w/ meat on it if possible
3- 5 yellow cooking onions peeled and 1/4rd
Few leaves from celery not too many!
3 clove garlic minced
1/2- `1 tsp parsley flakes
2-3 TBS ketchup
1 TBS lemon juice or vinegar (or 1 1/2 tsp of both)
A couple dashes of worchester sauce
Couple sprigs of dill or about 2-3 shakes of dehydrated dill
About 3 shakes of pepper
Beef bullion cubes
*opt: 1 bay leaf
Beef stew meat or shoulder roast cut raw into bite size chunks (aprox 8-12 oz's per person or more)
Flour
Vegetable oil
2 large beets peeled for each person eating 1/4rd then cut 1/4rs in 1/2
*NOTE!!! Beets are used as a dye! Put a zip lock freezer bag on each hand (poor mans kitchen gloves ;) ) peel and cut them on a glass plate It will dye anything it touches pink to purple!!! And glass plates won't stain :)
1-2 Potatoes for each person eating cut in 1/4rs
1/2 head of green cabbage sliced then cut into chunks
1/2 head red cabbage sliced then cut in chunks
Large (4 finger) Pinch of sugar (white or light brown) or to taste
*NOTE: Depending on how sweet the beets and cabbage are you may not need any sugar!
1-2 carrots for each person eating cut in bite sized chunks
1 med 2 finger pinch of white sugar
couple shakes of salt
1- 2 TBS butter
Sour cream
Directions
This is one of the recipes you make the stock or broth the night before.
Put bone in shank in stock pot
Add water to 3/4's full
Add onions, celery leaves, garlic, parsley, ketchup, lemon juice/ vinegar and dill to pot (if adding optional worchester sauce and /or bay leaf add it here)
Cook about 1 1/2 hrs
Add beef bullion cubes (start w/ about 6 then taste keep adding more 'till the right saltiness make sure you give them a chance to dissolve before tasting!)
Cool then put in large bowl
Remove beef shank
Cover w/ saran wrap (plastic wrap) and put in fridge overnight
Next day the fat will have solidified on top of the broth
Remove about 1/2-3/4rs of it (need some because some of the flavoring will be in it)
Return to stove and start heating it back up
Dredge beef cubes in flour
Add oil to skillet and brown beef cubes on all sides
Add beef cubes to stock pot and bring to boil
Cook on med to low heat for about an hour
While that's cooking put carrots in a pot big enough to hold them
Add about 1/8 cup of water, butter and 2 finger pinch of sugar and couple shakes of salt
Boil 'till waters gone and roll them around in butter a few times before setting them aside
After meats cooked about 1 - 1 1/2 hrs
Add beets, potatoes and cabbage
If needed add more water to cover veggies
After 15 mins taste to see if it needs more boullion
Add carrots
Cook 'till veggies are tender
Put 1tsp - 1TBS Sour cream on top of soup in each bowl stir and serve
