transcribed by Julie Brick. Cooking times at sea level; adjust for altitude if needed
The Stock:
Olive oil (for roasting animal parts and vegetables)
Animal Parts:
2 lbs Beef Marrow Bones
2 lbs Pork neck bones
1 lb Pig feet
Vegetables:
1 med. Onion,
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
2 parsley roots
2 tomatoes
1 bell pepper
Seasoning:
½ plastic standard package of rosemary
½ plastic standard package of thyme
½ plastic standard package of oregano
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon salt
Preheat oven to 375-400ºF
Place the beef marrow bones, the pork neck bones and the pig feet in a roasting pan and cover lightly with oil. Baste them for 45 minutes, and basting as necessary to prevent burning. At the end of 45 minutes add the onion, carrots, celery stalks, parsley roots, tomatoes and bell pepper to the roasting pan and then baste the animal parts with the vegetables for an additional 35-45 minutes (until they soften). Remove the pan from the oven.
Place the roasted vegetables and animal parts in a stock pot (with the fat). Fill the pot with water until the water line comes about 1 inch above the top of the contents of the pot. Add the rosemary, thyme, and oregano (bundled), black peppercorns, and salt to the pot. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer (covered) overnight. In the morning, turn off the heat and allow to cool to room temperature (a few hours).
Pour all the fluids slowly through a cheese-cloth into a container that can fit into your refrigerator. Discard the herbs, vegetables, peppercorns, and animal parts. Be sure to deglaze the bottom of the pan and also strain the deglazed portion through the cheesecloth. Chill the broth in the refrigerator for a couple of hours until the fat congeals, forming a layer on top of the stock. Skim off the layer of fat with a spoon and discard it. You can now use this stock for your borsch or store it for use at a later time in your freezer.
The Borsch
1 qt. of stock (see above)
1 qt. of V-8
½ lb slice of beef (inexpensive cut : e.g. round) that has been boiled in water for 45 minutes and cubed.
1 med-large potato cut in ¼ inch cubes
1 beet the size of a small apple, peeled and coarsely grated
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 medium carrots sliced in ½ circles
½ bell pepper cut in ½ inch squares
1/2 of a small head of cabbage sliced in thin (2mm wide) strips
1/3 of a head of garlic thinly sliced
Bundle of fresh dill
Put the stock, the V-8, and the beef in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Add the cubed potato. Then sauté the grated beet in a pan for about five minutes (until it is cooked). Add 1 tbsp of white vinegar to the pan and then mix it (it helps preserve the beet color). Immediately add contents of the pan with the cooked beet to the stockpot. Deglaze the pan with stock.
Then in a frying pan, sauté the sliced carrots and ½ bell pepper in olive oil until they soften (about 10 minutes). Add them to the stockpot. Deglaze the pan with stock.
Next, add the cabbage to the stockpot. Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes.
While the soup is finishing, brown the garlic in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add it to the garlic to the soup. Deglaze the pan with the soup.
Then add a bundle of fresh dill at the same time. Simmer for another 5 minutes (3 at sea level). Your borsch is done.
Can be served immediately but flavor improves if it sits for ½ -1 day. Discard dill bundle in the morning.
