Recipe: Russian Short Rib Borsch
Around the World in 30 Soups: This month we’re collaborating with chefs, cookbook authors, and our own Kitchn crew to share a globetrotting adventure in soups from countries and cuisines around the world. Today’s stop: Russia.
Bonnie Frumkin Morales’ book Kachka was one of our editor-in-chief Faith’s favorite books of the last few years. Here Morales schools us on borsch (hold the “t”!) and its many, many forms. Want to master borsch? Start here.
First, borsch does not have a “t” at the end — somehow the “t” got added on in German (as did a few other unnecessary consonants — borschtsch), so if you want to pass with the Brighton Beach babushkas, lose the “t.”
If you open a Russian restaurant, be prepared to have borsch on the menu — people assume it’s part of the contract. And if you (like us) don’t want to have it on your menu year-round, be prepared for a lot of furrowed brows (by the way, “There’s more to Russia than borsch” is not always deemed an acceptable explanation). Also, be prepared for a lot of opinions about what makes for a good borsch. Then, be ready for those (hint: Americans) who are shocked that borsch has meat in it.
A lot of folks come into my restaurant, Kachka, thinking that borsch is like the stuff in the jars at the supermarket, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Borsch is actually a whole category of soups and they are pretty seasonal. Some are cold and refreshing, while other versions are more like a hearty stew. There are even derivatives that don’t contain any beets at all and are still called “borsch.”
This version is inspired by what my mom would make all winter long when I was growing up. Like every good Russian, I learned to make borsch from my mom — and, with just a few tweaks, this recipe is pretty much hers. So, of course in my opinion, it’s the best version out there.
—Bonnie Frumkin Morales, chef, owner, and author of Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking
Short Rib Borsch
Serves 6 to 10
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1/4 cup
high-heat oil (I use canola or peanut)
- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
bone-in beef short ribs
Kosher salt
- 1
medium yellow onion, halved and sliced into thin half-moons
- 2
large red beets, scrubbed thoroughly
- 2 quarts
beef stock (homemade if possible)
- 2
large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into a 3/4-inch dice
- 1
carrot, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
For serving:
- 1/2 cup
European-style sour cream
- 1 handful
thinly sliced scallions
- 1 handful
coarsely chopped fresh dill
- 1 loaf
dark Russian or Lithuanian-style bread, and Russian mustard
Instructions
Heat a large stockpot over high heat, and add the oil. While the pot is heating up, season the short ribs with salt on all sides. When the pot is hot, carefully add the short ribs, and brown to a nice dark sear on all sides (a few minutes per side), using tongs to flip (you may need to do this in batches). The sear on the bottom of the pot will give your soup flavor, so make sure it doesn’t burn—turn the heat down if needed. When the ribs are browned, remove them from the pot and set aside on a plate. Discard the excess grease from the pot.
Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until caramelized (about 30 minutes), adjusting the heat as needed so that it doesn’t burn. When the onion has softened and browned, add the beets and stock.
Bring up to a boil, then reduce the heat until it’s just high enough to maintain a simmer. Simmer until the beets are about half cooked—a knife will go in with some resistance—about 1 hour.
When the beets are half cooked, carefully remove them from the pot with a ladle and set them aside in a bowl to cool—this may seem fussy, but it allows you to get the beet flavor in the pot early on without overcooking the beets themselves. Add the browned short ribs back to the pot, and cook at the gentlest simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 hours, or until the short ribs are totally falling-apart fork-tender (and going longer won’t hurt). Taste about halfway through cooking, and add salt as needed.
When the reserved beets are cool enough to handle, peel away the skin using a paring knife (if it doesn’t just rub off on its own), and coarsely grate them on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor.
When the short ribs have fully cooked, taste the soup, and add more salt as needed. Use a large slotted spoon to remove the short ribs. Add the potatoes, and continue to simmer until they are just cooked through, another 10 minutes or so. While the potatoes cook, pull the short rib meat off the bones, removing any bits of connective tissue. Discard the bones and connective tissue, and chop the meat into bite-sized chunks.
When the potatoes are cooked, stir the meat back into the pot, along with the grated beets and carrots. Turn off the heat, and let cool— the pot will take a few hours to cool enough to go in the refrigerator, and the vegetables will cook in the residual heat. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, discard the hardened fat from off the top. Reheat before serving.
Ladle the borsch into bowls, and garnish with a dollop of the sour cream and sprinkling of the scallions and dill. Serve with slices of dark bread and spicy mustard. If you want the full Russian approach, try stirring some of the spicy mustard directly into your soup—to me, it’s not borsch without this finishing touch.
Recipe Notes
Excerpted from Kachka: A Return to Russian Cooking by Bonnie Frumkin Morales with Deena Prichep. Copyright © 2017 by Bonnie Frumkin Morales and Deena Prichep. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved.
