A Red Borscht Recipe from Two Jewish Grandmothers
The Oma & Bella Cookbook is a collection of classic Jewish recipes from Eastern Europe, as told to Alexa Karolinski by her grandmother Regina (Oma) and her best friend Bella. Karolinski worked with Oma and Bella to translate “handfuls” into half cups and “platefuls” into servings, and she also made a film about the duo.
Illustration: Joana Avillez
From Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week: Oma & Bella
Red Borscht
Serves 8
1 1⁄2 lbs beef (brisket, sirloin or shanks.The meat should be well-marbled.)
5 lbs fresh red beets
3-4 large lemons
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
At least 3 tbsp sugar
At least 1 tbsp salt
Rinse off the meat and pat it dry with a cloth. Cut it into bite-sized pieces and place in a large pot with enough water to fully cover. Bring the pot to a boil, and then turn down to medium-low heat. Skim off impurities.
Peel the beets. Grate them with a cheese grater or in a food processor. Add them to the pot with the meat. Stir well and add cold water to just cover the beets. Cover and let the borscht simmer for 1 hour. Do not forget to continue skimming regularly.
Juice 3 lemons into a glass and remove seeds. Add the lemon juice, 2 tbsp sugar, 1⁄2 tbsp salt, and the red wine vinegar to the borscht and stir well. After 30 minutes, taste the borscht. Sugar will bring out the flavor of the beets; so if the borscht is slightly bland, add the remaining 1 tbsp of sugar and possibly more. If the borscht is too salty, add the rest of the lemon juice. If it is too bitter add more sugar.
The borscht can be served either hot or cold with a healthy dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
Excerpted from Oma & Bella by Alexa Karolinksi (self-published, 2014).
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