Ukranian Borscht With Caraway Dumplings

Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 lbs beef short ribs
• kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups water (more if needed)
• 2 turnips, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/3 cup tomato juice
• 3/4 cup beer (kvass)
• 2 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 3 beets, peeled
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• fresh ground black pepper
• sour cream
• fresh dill

Recipe

• 1 season the short ribs with 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside.
• 2 heat a dutch oven over high heat; add olive oil, and brown the short ribs well, in batches, about 10 minutes each batch.
• 3 remove ribs and set aside; reduce heat to medium, stir in onions and garlic, cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 10 minutes.
• 4 return the ribs to the pot and add the peppercorns and bay leaves; cover with water and bring to a simmer.
• 5 reduce heat to maintain simmer, loosely cover, and cook until ribs are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• 6 skim away any foam or fat from the surface and stir in the turnips and carrots; continue to cook until the vegetables are soft and the ribs are very tender (falling off the bone), 30 to 45 minutes.
• 7 remove ribs from pot and discard the bones; shred the meat into medium sized chunks and return to the pot.
• 8 stir in tomato juice, kvass, and cabbage and return to a simmer; using a grater or food processor, shred the beets, then add to the pot and stir in vinegar.
• 9 meanwhile, prepare the dumplings: in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and caraway seeds.
• 10 in a separate small bowl, beat eggs and milk.
• 11 drizzle the egg mixture over the flour while stirring with a fork until a stiff, sticky batter forms.
• 12 taste the soup and add salt and pepper as desired.
• 13 drop spoonfuls of the caraway dumpling mixture onto the simmering soup; cover pot and let dumplings steam until they are set and firm, about 10 minutes.
• 14 serve with sour cream and fresh dill.