This slow-simmered ox tail broth makes this otherwise simple borscht recipe quite luxurious. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)

This slow-simmered ox tail broth makes this otherwise simple borscht recipe quite luxurious. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)

Borscht from the source

This homestyle stew recipe draws on experience of Russian cook

One of the best parts of my job is the opportunity to meet new people.

So many different people with their individual life experiences are called to our profession, and I am often impressed and always fascinated by the unique paths each of us took to arrive in the same break room. I share my stories and knowledge freely in the hopes that others will feel safe to share theirs with me, and that through that vulnerability, a friendship might grow.

Last week I worked closely with a woman I had met only briefly a few times before. She was born and raised in Russia (her heavy accent told me that before she did). Over the week, she frequently compared her childhood and education in Russia to our school, remarking how fortunate the children are to have such beautiful things to learn and play with.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

She marveled at the artwork in the halls — the walls in her school were bare, she said, and colored paper was hard to find. Instead of the plain clothes and modest toy boxes of her childhood, the children here have colorful clothes and shoes that light up and a wealth of toys in their homes and classrooms. She could not have dreamed of such abundance, she said, as she helped me put the toys away at the end of the day.

Of course, we talked a lot about food. I have been wanting to feature this dish here for some time, but I was waiting for a homestyle recipe from a primary source … plucking a random recipe from a Google search wouldn’t do.

I knew if I asked, she would have an excellent recipe for borscht. She wrote down the ingredients and gave me a few specific instructions, but she didn’t include measurements for any of the ingredients because she said, “You’re a cook. You know.”

She told me that I needed to get beef with bone in it to make a flavorful broth, but the best I could find for this purpose was oxtails. I’m sure borscht isn’t often made with oxtails, but the slow-simmered broth was rich and sticky with collagen and made the otherwise simple soup quite luxurious.

Homestyle Borscht

Ingredients:

1 pound oxtails

5 raw beets

2 carrots

½ large white onion

1 large russet potato

4 stalks celery

1 ½ cups cabbage, roughly chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Salt to taste

Directions:

Cover the oxtails in cold water and let soak for 1 hour.

Drain and thoroughly rinse the oxtails, place in your crock pot, and cover with water.

Set the slow cooker on low heat and let simmer, undisturbed, for 24 hours.

Remove the oxtails from the broth, remove the meat from the bone, chop, and refrigerate.

Allow the broth to cool and then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

A cap of solid fat will have formed on the surface- remove and discard.

Peel and dice your beets, carrots, and potato.

Chop the onion, celery, and cabbage into small pieces.

Put the beets into a soup pot and cover with the beef bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add some water if necessary.

Saute the onion, carrot, and celery until the onions are translucent and the carrots are softened.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to the pot.

Add water if necessary to cover and return to a simmer.

When the beets are softened, add the cabbage and potato, add water, and return to a slow simmer. At no point should the soup reach a full boil.

When the potatoes are soft, add in the cooked beef and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh herbs.

Taste and season with salt, black pepper, and maybe some vinegar.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and some more fresh dill on top.

More in Life

"Octopus" is an acrylic painting by new co-op member Heather Mann on display at Ptarmigan Arts in Homer, Alaska. Photo provided by Ptarmigan Arts
July First Friday in Homer

Homer’s galleries and public art spaces celebrate with new and ongoing exhibits.

This nostalgic sauce is so shockingly simple, you’ll never buy a bottle again. Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion
America’s favorite culinary representative

The original recipe for ranch dressing was invented and perfected in Alaska, out in the bush in 1949.

Graphics show the nine finalists in three age groups for the Soldotna “I Voted” sticker design contest. (Provided by City of Soldotna)
Soldotna announces finalists for ‘I Voted’ sticker contest

Public voting will be open until July 20 to determine the winners.

Homer’s Cosmic Creature Club performs at the 2024 Concert on the Lawn at Karen Hornaday Park. (Emilie Springer/Homer News file)
July events to provide entertainment and fun on lower Kenai Peninsula

Events include the Highland Games, Concert on the Lawn, local art camps and the Ninilchik Rodeo.

Nick Varney
Unhinged Alaska: Flashback dreams and the cold sweats

When summer arrives, every personage in the known cosmos suddenly seems to remember that they have kindred living in Alaska.

File
Minister’s Message: Freedom is not what you think

If freedom isn’t what we first think it is, what is it?

This is the Kenai Power complex. The long side of the plant faces the Frank Rowley home, seen here at the right side of the photograph. (Photo courtesy of the Rowley Family)
Let there be light: The electrifying Frank Rowley — Part 1

Frank Rowley made one of the most important steps toward modernization in the history of Kenai.

This cake stacks colored crepes for a brilliant rainbow breakfast. (Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion)
Crepes of a different color

This rainbow cake celebrates Pride with layers of colored crepes.

Most Read