Better Things borscht

The soup of my people, zhuzhed for TV. Sam Fox is one of my favorite characters. This was a brilliant show.

Ingredients

• Beef shanks, cubed - 3 or 4 (optional)
• Butter - 1/4 cup or 1/2 stick
• Beets peeled and cubed - 4 cups
• Beet, grated - 1
• Yellow onions, diced - 2
• Celery, diced - 1 head
• Green cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces - 1 medium
• Carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch coins - 2
• Carrot, grated - 1
• Garlic, roughly chopped - 8 cloves
• Tomatoes, diced - 1 can or 2 ish cups
• Tomato paste - 1 T (optional)
• Red wine vinegar - 1/4 cup
• Red table wine - 1/4 cup
• Beef or vegetable stock - 6 quarts (I use less, 6 to 8 cups)
• Oregano, fresh - 4 branches
• Bay leaves - 2
• Dill seeds - 1 T
• Small white potatoes, quartered - 5 small (optional)
• Maldon salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Dill, fresh chopped (optional, to serve)
• Sour cream (optional, to serve)

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, brown the beef shanks in butter. Get them very brown all over.
2. Remove the beef, leaving a little fat in the pan.
3. Add beets, onion, celery, cabbage, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, and tomato paste (if using) to the pot.
4. Sauté the vegetables until they begin to brown.
5. Add the beef shanks back to the pot. Gingerly give everything a stir, you want the shanks to keep their shape while they’re simmering.
6. Add vinegar and wine and stir until a little evaporation happens to the liquid.
7. Pour in the stock and add oregano, bay leaves, and dill seeds.
8. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn it down to a simmer.
9. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours. If using potatoes, add them halfway through the simmer time.
10. Test the meat, it should be fork-tender.
11. Season the soup at the end with Maldon salt and coarse black pepper to taste.
12. Serve dressed with fresh dill and a dollop of sour cream.

Sources

The New Yorker