Beef Borscht
Sometimes vegetables at the grocery store or the farmer’s market are so pretty that I buy them on impulse, only realizing later that I don’t know how to cook them.
That was how I ended up with a bunch of baby golden beets. They were sitting on a shelf in the produce section at eye level next to a bunch of baby red beets daring me to pick them up. I just couldn’t resist those orangey-red bulbs with the green and blue leaves, so I put them in my cart. When I got home I consulted a few cookbooks and decided on a recipe that called for roasting them at a high heat, in foil with a couple of cloves of garlic and the juice of half an orange. When the earthy aroma filled my kitchen, I knew beets were going to be a bigger part of my diet.
This soup has eastern European origins and dozens of variations. It can be served cold or warm, with meat or not. The following recipe uses red beets, not golden. Peeling the beets will turn your hands red, but not for long. If you’d prefer not to have red hands at all, use gloves (the latex ones in the big box you may still have lying around). I use a stovetop pressure cooker but have included instructions for an electric pressure cooker (insta-pot) too.
Photo by: Claudia Alexander
Ingredients;
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 meaty short ribs
3 medium carrots diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 large red onion finely diced
1½ teaspoons of kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
3 beets washed peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes drained
6 cups beef broth
dollop of sour cream or yogurt for topping
Stove top pressure cooker:
Place pressure cooker over medium high heat; add oil and short ribs. Brown on all sides about 3-4 minutes per side. Take out of the pan and let rest in a bowl.
Without cleaning out the pan add the carrots, red onion and garlic. Lower the heat to medium low and cook for a minute or two. Now add the tomato paste, bay leaf, salt and pepper and cook for another couple minutes until onion starts to soften. Next add the ribs including any accumulated juices, the diced beets, drained tomatoes, and broth. Lock on lid and set to high pressure. Once it reaches high pressure, lower heat slightly and cook for 32 minutes.
Quick release pressure and adjust seasoning. Discard the bay leaf, take the beef off the bones and discard those as well. Chop up the meat and put it back in the soup. Serve with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.
Insta-Pot Instructions:
Set saute´ button for 15 minutes. Add oil and brown meat 3 minutes per side. Place meat in a bowl and set aside. Add carrot, onion, and garlic, tomato paste, and bay leaf along with the salt and pepper to pot. Stir and continue to sauté until the onion starts to soften.
With the sauté function off add the beets, broth, drained tomatoes, and beef, along with any juices from the bowl.
Lock the lid in place. Set the valve to Sealing for 32 minutes.
Release the pressure. Discard the bay leaf, take the meat off the bones and discard the bones as well. Chop the meat and add it back to the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.
Photo By: Claudia Alexander