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Ukrainian Beef Borscht | Ukrainskii Borshch

According to tradition, the borscht should have so many vegetables you could stand a spoon straight up in it. The earthy sweetness of this stew will make you fall in love with beets. This recipe was adapted from "The Art of Russian Cuisine," by Anne Volokh.

lb. boneless beef chuck

1 beef marrow bone

2 onions

1 carrot

1 parsley root

2 ounces celery root

1 teaspoon salt

3 medium beets

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tomatoes

2 potatoes

1/3 head cabbage

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1-2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

Allow the chuck roast to become room temperature. Sear the roast on each side until browned. Add the roast to a large pot with 2 1/2 quarts of water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 onion, 1/2 carrot, 1/2 parsley root. Bring to a boil and turn down to a low simmer, partially covered. Simmer for 1 hour, or until the beef is tender.

Remove the meat from the stock, put in a bowl, cover and reserve. Strain the stock, discarding the vegetables, and skim off all the fat.

Preheat the oven to 300 F, bake the beets for 40 minutes, or until tender. Allow to cool, peel, and shred on a coarse grater. Set aside.

Cut the remaining onion, and halves of the carrot, parsley root and celery into thin strips. In a heavy skillet, saute the vegetables in butter for 15 minutes, stirring often. Halve the tomatoes, and grate on a coarse grinder, discarding the peel. Saute the mushrooms, until browned, and set aside.

Peel the potatoes, and cut into 6 cubes. Remove the core from the cabbage, and cut the leaves into 1-inch squares. Bring the meat stock to a boil, add the potatoes, black pepper, and simmer for 15-30 minutes. Add the sauteed vegetables, beets, tomatoes, and tomato paste, and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Shred or cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Add the meat, parsley, dill, and garlic to the soup. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes