Borscht-Best Knife workout ever!

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rickbern

rickbern

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Got a new cookbook called "Mamushka" by a Ukranian born chef at Ottalegheni in London. Really interesting cookbook, decided to make the borscht as a first try at it.

Had to matchstick beets, finely dice carrots, dice potatoes and onions, chop tomatoes; later on I get to shred some cabbage. Me and my Kochi enjoyed the whole thing, I marveled at what it must be like to make this with typical American (or Ukranian) big box store dull knife.

Anyway, if you want to take your knife out for a spin, I highly recommend her borscht. The book is 4.50 on Kindle in US. And then you get a big pot of borscht at the end of the process!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616289619/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Rick
 
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Was it delicious?

Any online recipe close to your book version? I’d love to try it.
 
K, just checked out the Beet Broth recipe. Hum, cooking steps are definitely not European that for sure. I'd like to deconstruct this recipe use same ingredients but different cooking methods.

Never had fermented tomatoes? Not sure I want to either ;-)
 
Mucho Bocho said:
K, just checked out the Beet Broth recipe. Hum, cooking steps are definitely not European that for sure. I'd like to deconstruct this recipe use same ingredients but different cooking methods.

Never had fermented tomatoes? Not sure I want to either ;-)
Click to expand...

The pickled tomatoes (by fermentation) are quite alright. Prefer cucumbers though ;)
 
rickbern said:
Got a new cookbook called "Mamushka" by a Ukranian born chef at Ottalegheni in London. Really interesting cookbook, decided to make the borscht as a first try at it.

Had to matchstick beets, finely dice carrots, dice potatoes and onions, chop tomatoes; later on I get to shred some cabbage. Me and my Kochi enjoyed the whole thing, I marveled at what it must be like to make this with typical American (or Ukranian) big box store dull knife.

Anyway, if you want to take your knife out for a spin, I highly recommend her borscht. The book is 4.50 on Kindle in US. And then you get a big pot of borscht at the end of the process!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616289619/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Rick
Click to expand...

Having growing up in that part of the world, I probably had it 20 different ways. There are millions of ways to make it, obviously and I also think that the recipe is designed to be much more upscale than what it is typically. As we all know, most of the time, these type of soups are made in large pots to last family a week (they tend to become better the longer they seat).

Few comments (not criticisms). I never seen peppers in it or raw tomatoes. My guess that sometimes tomatoes were more available throughout the year but mostly were used in salads Imy mother used tomato paste). Peppers were also seasonal and hard to find. Borscht in my view has 3 predominant flavors - sweetness from beats, beef broth and sour cream added at serving. I felt that cabbage didn't really add any flavor was just there as main filler, as it was cheapest possible vegetable. Few comments about meat... Recipe specifically refers to well-marbled meat. That's fine, of course, but generally I found opposite to be true. Typical meat used was the worst cuts, that generally could not be used in other recipe's...

I maybe seen it prepared on 10 different occasions and obviously, my view is very limited, but the way they started was simple: fill a pot of water, throw the meat in, onions halved, few bay leafs and peppercorns carrots and beats whole or halved and let it simmer 60-90min. During those 60-90 minutes they prep cabbage and potatoes (clean and cut up). After 90 minutes or so, meat is taken out and cleaned up/shredded (sinew, bones removed and meat chopped if needed). Then you take out carrots and beats and slice them. Then you complete soup by putting cabbage and potatoes in and cook for 15 min and then add everything else too heat through.

That recipe looks good overall though :)
 
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Ptolemy, Mucho,

The recipe in the book is slightly different than the online version but as I was making it, I thought it was just like pot au feu-put the meat in water, let it become broth-y, than put in hard vegetable to cook and put in soft vegetables at the end. Admittedly, the "sofrito" of onions peppers and tomatoes is not part of a pot au feu.

I actually like it better with the meat broth being a note rather than a big part of the dish, I didn't shred and return the meat to the soup. My ukranian friend, who's been making it her whole life was grinning from ear to ear when I brought her some to try and was amazed that I cut the beets so nicely! She didn't seem too surprised when I told her I cut up the beets into matchsticks before cooking, so maybe that's a regional variation.

The author is from the very south of Ukraine and I think there's a more temperate climate there so tomatoes and peppers are part of the mix. Who knows, I thought it was just a dandy little soup.

Rick
 
Thanks for posting OP this is an interesting thread.
 
Ptolemy, in the book she specifies short ribs or oxtail as appropriate cuts. I think that's probably about right for the spirit of the soup, and that's what she's referring to as well marbled.
 
rickbern said:
Ptolemy, Mucho,

The recipe in the book is slightly different than the online version but as I was making it, I thought it was just like pot au feu-put the meat in water, let it become broth-y, than put in hard vegetable to cook and put in soft vegetables at the end. Admittedly, the "sofrito" of onions peppers and tomatoes is not part of a pot au feu.

I actually like it better with the meat broth being a note rather than a big part of the dish, I didn't shred and return the meat to the soup. My ukranian friend, who's been making it her whole life was grinning from ear to ear when I brought her some to try and was amazed that I cut the beets so nicely! She didn't seem too surprised when I told her I cut up the beets into matchsticks before cooking, so maybe that's a regional variation.

The author is from the very south of Ukraine and I think there's a more temperate climate there so tomatoes and peppers are part of the mix. Who knows, I thought it was just a dandy little soup.

the 'sofrito' is actually classic. my mother been doing it ever since I remember. it's grated carrots and slices onions cooked in oil for 10-15min.. I think it's done to reinforce the flavor of the soup and added at the very end (my guess because they used poor cuts of meat, that may had had fat/etc but mostly were sinew, this added that lip-coated fatty goodness).


Rick
Click to expand...

rickbern said:
Ptolemy, in the book she specifies short ribs or oxtail as appropriate cuts. I think that's probably about right for the spirit of the soup, and that's what she's referring to as well marbled.
Click to expand...

that's true, of course. I was strictly commenting on her emphasizing the well marbled part, since in those country's, at that time, there was no grading of meat... you'g come to market and pick what's u want from what's available.

I guess i was knit picking a bit. :)
 
My heritage is Eastern European (Brest, in Belarus) but my family came to the US in the 1890's, and we're jewish, so the food traditions are a little different. A lot different.

Anyway, for some obscure reason every year I make a party on March 8 for International Women's Day. Got a lot of Russians/Ukranians in my life and I love them all. Anyway, one year, someone brought me this book called "Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking", which is not so much a cookbook as a memoir, even a window into a life that I, for one, had no idea existed.

If you've never had a chance to read it, take a look, you'll either love it or hate it, but I doubt you'd be ambivalent.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307886816/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
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