Adam’s Borscht with Beef
This delicious, sweet stew is brimming with flavor and texture, and the addition of slowly braised beef makes it a complete meal. The recipe is time but not labor intensive, so make sure to read all the way through before you get to cooking.
*You can substitute some leftover pulled pork instead of beef as well. If so, skip to the next section.
Mixed together 1⁄2 cup each salt and sugar, dried dill, black pepper to make the “cure.” In a baking dish, heavily season beef with the cure evenly and refrigerate overnight.
Rinse the cure off the beef and towel dry. On a very hot grill or in a large sauté pan sear all sides of beef until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Place the beef into a deep-sided baking dish or a dutch oven. Add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 garlic cloves, one quartered orange, and enough stock to cover. Bring the pot up to a light simmer on the stove top, cover with lid or foil, and place into a 300 oven for 3-4 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
Chill the beef in the stock so that it reabsorbs moisture lost during braise. Remove beef from pot and strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the spent veggies. Reduce the stock down. Shred the beef using your hands or two forks, paying attention to remove any fat, sinew, or undesirable bits.
Julienne or shred the onion, peeled beets, and red cabbage. Quick work with a food processor's shredding blade.
In a large cooking pot, add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil over medium–high heat. First add onions and sweat, with the help of a pinch of salt. Next add beets and sweat, releasing their color, about 2 more minutes.
Finally, add cabbage and another few pinches of salt and cook until the cabbage softens slightly and released its liquid. Add the shredded beef and mix thoroughly and season with salt. Add the braising liquid (~6-8+ cups) and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, until the soup thickens slightly and takes on the reddish hue. Finish seasoning with salt.
To serve, ladle Borscht into a bowl, garnish with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche, lightly chopped dill, and a bit of orange zest.
Ingredients
Directions
*You can substitute some leftover pulled pork instead of beef as well. If so, skip to the next section.
Mixed together 1⁄2 cup each salt and sugar, dried dill, black pepper to make the “cure.” In a baking dish, heavily season beef with the cure evenly and refrigerate overnight.
Rinse the cure off the beef and towel dry. On a very hot grill or in a large sauté pan sear all sides of beef until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. Place the beef into a deep-sided baking dish or a dutch oven. Add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 garlic cloves, one quartered orange, and enough stock to cover. Bring the pot up to a light simmer on the stove top, cover with lid or foil, and place into a 300 oven for 3-4 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
Chill the beef in the stock so that it reabsorbs moisture lost during braise. Remove beef from pot and strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer, discarding the spent veggies. Reduce the stock down. Shred the beef using your hands or two forks, paying attention to remove any fat, sinew, or undesirable bits.
Julienne or shred the onion, peeled beets, and red cabbage. Quick work with a food processor's shredding blade.
In a large cooking pot, add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil over medium–high heat. First add onions and sweat, with the help of a pinch of salt. Next add beets and sweat, releasing their color, about 2 more minutes.
Finally, add cabbage and another few pinches of salt and cook until the cabbage softens slightly and released its liquid. Add the shredded beef and mix thoroughly and season with salt. Add the braising liquid (~6-8+ cups) and simmer for an additional 30 minutes, until the soup thickens slightly and takes on the reddish hue. Finish seasoning with salt.
To serve, ladle Borscht into a bowl, garnish with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche, lightly chopped dill, and a bit of orange zest.