Today the photographer Vito Corleone joins Steve to make Borscht.
Borscht (Traditional Ukrainian Stew)
Ingredients
½ lb Beef (or chicken or pork) cubed 1 large beet
1 large onion 1 carrot
½ red bell pepper 3-5 garlic cloves
4 medium potatoes ½ cabbage
White vinegar 2 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 can pink beans (if desired) Paprika
Olive Oil 3 bay leaves
Salt & pepper
Directions
In a large pot add 6-8 cups water, cubed beef 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp paprika & 3 bay
leaves turn heat to med-high and cook slightly covered for 30 min. After 30 min turn heat to
med-low and let cook for 1 hour more. Shut off heat.
Wash, peel and shred beet. Set aside.
Wash, peel and shred carrot. Set aside.
Chop onion, chop garlic and slice ½ red bell pepper.
Wash, peel and cube potatoes. Slice cabbage.
Rinse off pink beans.
In a frying pan add 3 Tbsp olive oil, turn heat to med. when oil is hot add shredded beets.
Stir beets for 4 minutes, add ¼ cup beef broth to beets, stir.
Add 1 Tbsp vinegar to beets stir, after 1 minute turn off heat. (Be sure not to burn beets).
In a separate frying pan add 3 Tbsp olive oil turn heat to med-low add onions stir until
translucent then add garlic. After 1 minute, add shredded carrots and stir and mix together.
Add 2 Tbsp tomato sauce to carrots and stir. (be sure not to burn carrots and onions).
Turn on heat to beef stew to med. When stew starts to boil slowly add beets, stir.
Add carrots and onions, stir.
Add potatoes and bell pepper, stir.
Slowly add cabbage and stir.
Add ½ can rinsed beans and let boil, (If desired)
Add ½ Tbsp salt to stew, stir and cover.
Cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Turn heat off and let sit for 15 minutes to set flavors.
This stew will absorb ingredients and become more flavorful a day or two later so savor it!
Traditionally eaten with borscht:
Salo (mostly fat bacon) 2 types
Green onion
Garlic bread or black bread (or whatever bread you like)
Mustard and sour cream
Solenia (salty tomatoes and pickles)
This is the full recipe of a traditional Ukranian dinner.