This recipe is named in honor of my nana (another word for grandmother), Sarah, who made a delectable sweet and savory borscht soup with beef shortribs, aka flanken. The use of beef shortribs is an inheritance from her Eastern European & Russian Jewish background, as borscht soup from those countries commonly is made with pork. I remember having it all the way back when I was five. It was just so sweet (and sour), and with that meat – it seemed to me almost decadent for a soup, not that I knew that word! Fortunately, my mom made the soup too and so that craving periodically got met over the years.
At a certain point, I decided it was imperative I learn to make it, and I got help from my parents who told me everything they could remember about how my nana made it. I’ve put my own stamp on this recipe with ferment items such as the beet kvass, whereas my relatives used the beet “borscht” – usually the Manischewitz-brand beet juice product (which comes with some softened beets) you can still find in most groceries; the store product is sour on account of citric acid and isn’t fermented. My nana would never put the kefir sour cream in (she wasn’t Kosher per se but I don’t ever remember her mixing dairy and meat), but I love it that way. Although I definitely wanted my version to be sweet, mine is decidedly less sweet than my nana’s, and emphasizes more of the sour flavor by using some well-fermented ingredients. Guidance is given below for making it sweeter, more like hers. I know whichever way you make it, you’re going to simply love it!
Yield:
Serves 4-5 as a main course; 8-9 as a side
Shelf life:
2 weeks (refrigerated); 6 months (frozen)
Equipment
- Knife & cutting board
- Large stockpot
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Grater
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP schmaltz (rendered chicken or duck fat) or use 2 TBSP tallow (e.g. fat rendered from the cooled beef stock recipe) (can sub with 2 TBSP sunflower or rapeseed oil as needed)
- 2-3 lbs. bone-in beef shortribs
- 4 cups fermented beet kvass, or 32 oz. (quart) jar borscht beet juice (retain all beets for the soup) Note: if using jar beet borscht, which isn’t very tart, add juice of 1 lemon at the end of the process, as desired (you can add lemon even if using beet kvass too, for an even more sour variety which is delicious!)
- Retained beets from the kvass or jar borscht, cut into batons or chopped
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 2- 15 oz. cans tomato sauce (30 oz. in all)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 packed cup dill sauerkraut (or any well fermented sauerkraut with complementary flavors for this soup, such as caraway, garlic, juniper berry, or just plain kraut)
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 2 TBSP brown sugar (or for my nana’s higher sweetness level, use ¼ cup and then continue to add sugar to desired sweetness, up to ½ packed cup)
- ½ tsp allspice, ground
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
For garnishing:
- ½ cup kefir sour cream (or any sour cream); about 1-2 TBSP per bowl, dollop in the center
- 2-3 stalks green onion, thin sliced (for garnishing bowls)
- 8-10 fronds dill, finely chopped & stems removed
- ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- For a flavor twist, try stirring in a tsp of my lacto-fermented mustard to your bowl of soup
- Serve with rye bread (my sourdough recipe is here; the first Insane cookbook has my pickle brine rye bread recipe!)
Directions
Notes about fermented foods before starting: A real treat is to make your own beet kvass and sauerkraut for use in this soup. These are fermented foods which can take several weeks (or in the case of kraut, even months) to get sour enough. Buying store-bought kraut is okay but fermented (in the fridged section) is preferred to a vinegar variety (but this too can be used). Store-bought Borscht can be used in place of beet kvass, with instructions for adding extra lemon juice provided below. Finally, instead of sour cream, you can use the more authentic kefir sour cream (smetana), detailed here. Lastly, my almost world-famous fermented mustard is amazing in this… just stir some into your bowl of soup when serving.
1.) Heat large stockpot over high heat; add the oil. While the pot heats up, salt the short ribs on both sides. Cut the shortribs between the bones, into individual pieces. When the pot is hot, add the short ribs, and brown to a nice golden sear on both sides (a couple minutes per side); use tongs to flip. You may need to do this in two or more batches. The sear on the bottom of the pot gives the soup flavor; make sure it doesn’t burn (turn down the heat if needed) and also don’t remove it. When the ribs are browned and slightly charred on the edges, remove from the pot and set aside on a plate. Discard any excess grease.
2.) Set the heat to medium, and add the onion. Sauté, turning periodically, until caramelized (about 30 minutes). Adjust the heat as needed to avoid burning. When the onion has softened and thoroughly browned, add the beef stock, bay leaf, beet kvass/juice (but not the beets), tomato sauce, brown sugar, pepper, and allspice. Stir thoroughly and reduce the heat low enough to maintain a simmer.
3.) Add the shortribs back to the pot and allow to simmer, uncovered, for at least 3 hours, or until they are practically falling off the bone, fork tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shortribs and set on a cutting board.
4.) Transfer the shredded carrot and chopped beets to the broth. While these veggies simmer at low heat, remove the shortrib meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Discard bones and any connective tissue.
5.) As soon as the shortrib meat is ready, return it to the pot and allow to simmer for about ten more minutes (less if the carrots are getting too soft).
6.) Turn off the heat, and immediately stir in the sauerkraut. (As desired, add 1/2 to whole lemon juice if jarred beet borscht was used in place of beet kvass.) Taste the broth to decide if additional salt or sugar should be stirred in and add according to taste. The pot will take a few hours to cool enough to go in the refrigerator. The sauerkraut & veggies will further cook in the residual heat. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove any hardened fat from off the top. Reheat before serving.
7.) When serving, add a dollop of the sour cream to the center (if desired). Garnish with the finely chopped herbs such as dill, parsley and scallion. Enjoy with a piece of the kefir-leavened bread!
Shown here my favorite… what I call a “Brooklyn Big Boy” (pastrami and coleslaw on rye), sour garlic dill pickle (here’s my classic recipe), and a nice big bowl of Sarah’s Soup!
