Tri tip of beef is a common summer grill option, but I don’t think I’d ever seen it done as a holiday roast. I tried to think of a reason why it wouldn’t work, but I couldn’t come up with anything. In fact, I decided that not only would this make a great, and more affordable alternative to prime rib, but it would also remind guests of mid-July, which is a proven treatment for winter blues. Side effects may include seconds and thirds.

This is not as tender as a prime rib, but if cooked to the right doneness, you’ll be enjoying juicy, flavorful, and plenty tender enough meat. To that end, I’d avoid the temptation to cook this rare, which can make it too chewy. I like to pull it at 130 F. internal temp, which after resting will give you something closer to medium. For me, this provides the best texture, and an even beefier flavor.

Having said that, there should be something for everyone. Plenty of nice pink meat to go around, and the narrower end will provide just enough well-done for your Aunt. You know, the one who's afraid to get a brain parasite after watching that show on Discovery Channel.

As I mentioned in the video, any veal, beef, or chicken stock/broth will work for the sauce, but I used a super sticky oxtail broth that I will show at future date. If you can’t wait, simply do our beef stock recipe with oxtails. Anyway, if you’re looking to do a beef roast for the holiday table, I hope you give this peppery tri tip a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 portions:

2 1/2 to 3 pound beef tri tip roast, trimmed

3-4 garlic cloves crushed with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil

salt to taste

enough very coarsely ground black, white, green, and pink peppercorns to cover the surface,
about 4-5 tbsp

Start at 450 F. for 15 minutes, removed and turn roast, reduce heat to 200 F. and roast to an internal temperature of 125-130 F. Let rest 15 minutes!

For the pan sauce;

Reserved pan drippings, about 2 tbsp

1 rounded tablespoon flour

3 cups rich *veal, beef, or chicken broth or stock (or oxtail…coming soon!)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and cayenne to taste

*Most fancy grocery stores will sell frozen veal stock or demi-glace (already reduced-by-half veal stock), which is great for special occasion sauces like this.

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Even though this trendy shooter’s sandwich has been requested many times, I’ve resisted making one because I’ve always felt there were better handheld delivery systems for steak and mushroom ingestion. Like a panini for example, or maybe even a cheesy quesadilla; but pressed into a cold, hard wedge?

Then, I had an incredibly small epiphany. I ran across the origins of the shooter’s sandwich online, and realized I might have been missing the point. This wasn’t something you make for just any lunch; it was something you make to take on a foxhunt (or what you Americans call a “tailgate party”).

I can’t remember the last time I was on a foxhunt, but after giving this a try, I can see the advantages of this very filling, very flavorful, and very sturdy sandwich. But, as I stressed in the video, you really need a couple huge steaks to make this work. Even cooked slightly pass medium, this was okay, but another half-inch of tender, pink meat would have made the whole affair significantly better.

So, I guess if I were going on a long hike, or out for a relaxing day of shooting innocent foxes, I would consider making this again, but while I tucked in, I have to admit, I’d probably be dreaming about a steaming hot, steak and mushroom hoagie. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 Portions:

(Note: I didn’t measure anything, ‘cause it’s a sandwich, but these should be close enough.)

For the mustard sauce:

3 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp extra hot horseradish

1 tbsp mayo

For the mushrooms:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter, divided

1 1/2 pound button mushrooms

salt and pepper to taste

cayenne to taste

1/2 cup minced shallots

2 tbsp brandy or sherry

The rest:

2 at least 16 to18-oz well-trimmed beef steaks (rib eye, NY strip, or top-sirloin are best choices, in that order). Seared in some vegetable oil.

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 oz fine pate, optional

1 round loaf of crusty bread

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This bolognese sauce is dedicated to the late, great Marcella Hazan, who passed away in September, at the age of 89. She was considered the Julia Child of Italian food, and at a time when most Americans though “bolognese” was spaghetti sauce with chunks of hamburger it, Marcella taught us just how magnificent this meat sauce could be.

One thing that always surprises people making this recipe for the first time is the absence of garlic. Hazan railed against the common belief that garlic should be added to any and all Italian recipes. She once wrote, “the unbalanced use of garlic is the single greatest cause of failure in would-be Italian cooking,” and “Garlic can be exciting when you turn to it sporadically, on impulse, but on a regular basis, it is tiresome.”

Would a few minced garlic cloves ruin this incredibly delicious pasta sauce? Probably not, but since this is supposed to be something of a tribute, I decided to remain true. Speaking of ingredients, I used ground beef here, but I’ve also done this with cubed chuck roast, which works wonderfully as well.

Anyway, I really hope you give this classic bolognese a try, and if you do, and there’s some extra wine around, please raise a glass, and toast the “Nonna” of Italian cuisine in America. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

1 cup finely diced onions

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup finely diced carrot

1 1/2  tsp salt, or to taste

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 lb ground beef

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups white wine

1 can San Marzano plum tomatoes (28-oz), about 3 cups

2 cups water, or as needed

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This time of year can be a little schizophrenic for a cook. We’ve not quite let go of summer and its fast, fresh food; but at the same time, the cooler weather has us craving hearty, more comforting fall fare. This beef medallions with fresh horseradish cream recipe is delicious nod to that kind of seasonal culinary dilemma.

The combination of the sweet, juicy tomato salad base, along with the seared beef, and aromatic sauce works whether you’re enjoying it on a warm autumn day, or cold, rainy night. My only regret is I didn’t have any crusty bread around to soak up all those incredible juices. That's a rookie mistake any time of year!

Like I said in the video, horseradish is easy to find these days, especially in the higher-end grocery chains. It’s usually sold by the pound, so don’t be afraid to ask the produce person to cut you off a smaller piece, as the roots can get pretty big. If you’ve never used fresh horseradish before, I hope you check it out soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 portions:

2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

4 pieces (about 3-oz each) beef top sirloin, pounded into 1/4-inch thick medallions

salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

flour as needed

2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp sugar

freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the horseradish cream:

1/3 cup crème fraiche

2 tbsp freshly, finely grated horseradish root

pinch of salt

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Labor Day weekend is always a bittersweet holiday. It’s supposed to honor America’s organized labor movement, but really what it mostly celebrates is the end of summer. 

Pretty soon our grills will be covered by huge snow drifts, and the season’s warm breezes will be a distant memory. Well, not for me, as I live in California, but you get the point.

This grilled kiwi and chili-rubbed beef short ribs recipe is specifically designed with that melancholy in mind. The prep is minimal, and the ultra short cooking time means that instead of being stuck in front of a grill, you can actually enjoy more of these last precious summer days.

We tied the world record here for fewest ingredients in a marinade, with one, but thanks to the kiwi’s enzymatic magic, that’s all we need. Unlike some tropical fruit marinades, kiwi doesn’t turn the meat into mush, and provides a nice, slightly sweet and acidic base for our Ancho chili rub. I loved how this came out, and while highly-seasoned, the beefy goodness of the short ribs really came through.

I want to wish all of you a happy and healthy Labor Day weekend. What better way to celebrate organized labor, than by doing the minimum amount of it at your cookout? I hope you give these super simple, but very delicious kiwi and chili-rubbed short ribs a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 pounds Korean-style (aka flanken style) beef short ribs

1 kiwi

For the chili rub:

1 tbsp ancho chili powder

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp kosher salt

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste

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Beef satay was the very first Thai food I ever tasted, and it was literally love at first bite. Ah, that sweet, spicy, salty, smoky, and slightly funky bite…I remember it like it was yesterday. 

It helps that I ate this yesterday, but still. If you’ve never had satay before, its lightning bolt of flavor can be a bit of a shock to the system. A recipe for the subtle palate, this is not. By the way, I do know that satay was actually invented in Indonesia, but for the purposes of this blog post, we're going with that it's Thai.

This will work on just about any meat, but beef is my favorite. There’s something about beef and these particular spices that just sings. Also, the magic that Asian fish sauce always adds is never more apparent than with beef, especially if that beef destined for the charcoal grill. The same goes for the lemongrass.

If you look around the produce aisle at your town’s best (meaning most expensive) grocery store, you should find some lemongrass stalks. They also sell tubes of pure lemongrass paste online, in case that’s a better option. Some say you can get away with some lime and/or lemon zest and juice, but at least attempt to find some for your old friend, Chef John.

With grilling season still in full swing, you can never have enough new and exciting ways to enjoy beef, and this is certainly at least one of those things. And of course, stay tuned for the peanut dipping sauce recipe next. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

2 lbs beef top sirloin steak, sliced thin across grain, about 1/8-inch thick

Satay Marinade:

1 tbsp grated ginger

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp minced onion

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 rounded tbsp minced lemongrass

View the complete recipe

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I’ve made hundreds of different marinades over the years, but for some reason, cola had not appeared in any of them. One reason is that I never drink soda, so it’s simply not around, but above and beyond that, it always sounded more like a gimmick to me, invented by some marketing guru at Coke. Boy, was I wrong.

This coffee and cola marinated skirt steak was the most delicious thing I’ve grilled all year. The cola provides a unique sweetness, which is balanced beautifully by the bitterness from the coffee and dark grill marks. The marinade (probably technically a brine) made the already uber-juicy skirt steak even more so, as well as absolutely fork tender.  There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about this recipe.

Speaking of fork tender, this is dependent on two key things – that you slice the meat against the grain, and you don’t cook it too rare. As you’ll see in the video, it will be very obvious which direction you need to slice, so that shouldn’t be an issue. As far as doneness goes, I really think that somewhere around medium produces the ultimate skirt steak texture.

I have no problem with rare meat, but rare skirt steak can be chewy, and you also want enough heat to melt the marvelously marbled meat’s fat. In fact, I’d take a medium-well piece over a rare piece any day, and I can’t think of another cut of beef where I’d say the same thing.

So, if you’re looking for something a little different at your next backyard barbecue, I really hope you give this grilled coffee and cola marinated skirt steak a try. It was amazing. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 whole beef skirt steak, about 1 1/4 pounds (no need to trim, except for any obvious large chunks of fat)

salt and cayenne to taste

For the marinade:

2-3 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp ketchup

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried rosemary (or 1 tbsp freshly minced)

1/4 tsp hot sauce, or to taste

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup strong, freshly brewed coffee

1 (12-oz) bottle cola

View the complete recipe

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If you thought beer was just a refreshing adult beverage that made your friends seem more interesting and better looking, well think again. I was simply stunned at how a glass of beer poured into a homemade barbecue sauce created one of the most delicious grilled flank steaks I’ve ever had.

If you’re looking for something different for your Father’s Day cookout, consider this super simple preparation. I’m not sure if it’s the bitterness from the hops, or the malty notes, or just the alcohol, but something happens to produce a tender, juicy, and very flavorful steak.

Of course, half the battle is cutting this correctly, so pay special attention to that portion of the video. Cutting in half lengthwise will make life easier, and then straight down across the grain will yield tender slices of the smoky, aromatic meat. Drizzle on a little of the leftover sauce, and you’re in for a real treat.

Any beer will do, but try to use something on the more aggressive side if you can. Don’t forget, you’ll need to drink the other 5.33 beers, so you might as well get something tasty. I went with Belgian ale, and it was a beautiful thing. I hope you give this father-friendly beerbecue recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

1 (1 1/2 lb) trimmed beef flank steak

salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 cup white vinegar

2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup strong beer

View the complete recipe

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While I’ve never been a huge fan of drinking Guinness, I’ve always been a great admirer of how wonderfully it can elevate a simple beef stew. The subtle bitterness from the hops, and toastiness from the malt, gives the gravy a depth of flavor that I really love.

Besides, you only need one can for this St. Patrick's Day-inspired stew, and since they’re sold in 4-can packs…well, you can do the math. This would normally be the point in post where I’d make my annual Irish drinking joke, but I’m not doing one this year.

Not only is it inappropriate, but it’s culturally insensitive, and I’d like to think I’ve matured past the point of going for such cheap laughs. Besides, my Irish joke writer, Paddy O'Sullivan, was on a binge this week, so I never got one from him anyway. Oh well, like I said, probably for the best.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a gorgeous and incredibly delicious Irish stew recipe for your St. Patrick's Day menu, this one comes highly recommended. I served mine with some green onion mashed potatoes, and while I usually encourage you to serve things like this on whatever you want, not this time. You must serve this with some form of potato. And that is no joke. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large servings:

4 strips bacon, sliced into small pieces

2 1/2 lb. beef chuck, cut in 2-inch pieces (tossed with black pepper and at least 1 tsp salt)

2 onions, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14.0-oz) Guinness beer, or other dark beer

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces

2 ribs celery, cut in 1-inch pieces

2 1/2 cups chicken stock, or as needed

1 tsp sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 cups mashed potatoes, optional (not really)

- Simmer stew on very low heat, covered, for about 2 hours, or until fork tender

- Uncover, raise heat to med-high, and reduce, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens to your liking

- Taste and adjust seasoning!

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When shopping, I like to take a quick peek at the end of the meat case where they sometimes have marked-down cuts that are past their prime. I usually stay away from the smaller, thinner pieces, as they tend to go bad faster, but once in a while I’ll find a big roast, like the one that inspired this delicious red beef curry; and as the old saying goes, the only thing better than a 3-pound chuck roast, is a half-priced, 3-pound chuck roast.

By the way, this “Reduced for Quick Sale” meat is generally fine taste and texture-wise, but the surface of the meat has oxidized, so it doesn’t look very appetizing. Other than that, it’s perfectly fine to use, especially in a slow-braised recipe like this.

I cooked mine on low, for about 7 or 8 hours, until it was fork tender, but if you’re in a hurry, you can do it on a higher setting. Conventional wisdom is that the longer slower method is superior, but in all honesty, I don’t think there's a huge difference, so suit yourself. No matter what setting you use, simply do not stop until the meat is tender.

Some of the most frustrating emails I get, are the ones that say, “I followed your braised-whatever recipe exactly, but the meat came out hard.” Actually, no you didn’t. Every time I give an approximate cooking time for something like this, I’ll always say, “or until fork tender.” So why would anyone stop cooking it while the meat is still hard? I find it as mystifying as I do annoying.

Anyway, assuming you don’t stop, won’t stop, until the meat is succulent, you are in for a real treat. Feel free to add any vegetables you like, and if you want, you can cook them separately and just add to the finished dish. I generally don’t serve this over rice if I use potatoes, but that's just my personal hang up, so don’t feel like you need to deny yourself that particular pleasure. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 giant or 6 regular portions:

2 1/2 or 3 pound beef chuck roast

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 chopped onion

1 or 2 tsp red curry paste, or to taste

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

2 cups chicken broth

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
1 can (10-oz) diced tomatoes with green chilies (or any diced tomato product)

3 tbsp Asian fish sauce, or to taste

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp tomato paste

4 cloves minced garlic

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced

juice of one lime
2 bay leaves

1 1/2 pound small potatoes, halved

4 or 5 baby bok choy, sliced

1 rounded teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water

To garnish:

chopped roasted peanuts

chopped fresh cilantro leaves

View the complete recipe

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I’m not sure how authentic this goulash recipe is, since the recipe I use is adapted from one by Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck. Austria is Hungary-adjacent, and I’m pretty sure they were the same country once, but still, the Puckmeister’s version, further modified by me, is closer to a stew called "Pörkölt." Apparently true goulash, or Gulyás, is much more like a soup, and is served with dumplings.

Okay, two things. First, when it comes to a main course, I like stew more than soup. If you want to stay truer to the original, add more liquid. That’s not going to bother me, or Wolfgang. Also, since I operate in a universe ruled by Google, I went with “goulash” since it’s a thousand times more recognizable than pörkölt. When’s the last time you heard someone say they were craving a big bowl of pörkölt?

Of course, none of this helps my American viewers who, thanks to the cafeteria ladies from our childhoods, think “goulash” is a tomato, hamburger, and elbow macaroni casserole. I’m assuming that variation was born when some Hungarian (or Austrian?) immigrant tried to stretch the last few ladles of soup/stew into another full meal.

Anyway, now that we’ve cleared up absolutely nothing, I can talk about this gorgeous dish of food. I adore everything about this dish. The color is stunning, the beef is sticky and succulent, and paprika-based sauce is incredible.

By the way, I’ve heard from my people on YouTube that this is never served on noodles. How do you say, “whatever” in Hungarian? Despite our questionable naming, ingredients, and side dish, this made for a fantastic winter dinner, and I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions of beef goulash:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes, seasoned generously with salt and pepper

2 onions, chopped

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 teaspoons caraway seeds, toasted and ground

2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 tsp dried marjoram leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

4 cups chicken broth (1 to deglaze pan, 3 more added to stew)
*Note: real goulash is more like a soup, so if you want yours thinner, just add 2 or 3 extra cups of broth.

1/4 cup tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 bay leaf

1 tsp sugar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

*Simmer for about 2 hours, or until tender

Garnish with sour cream and fresh marjoram if desired.

View the complete recipe

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This is what our 6-pounder looked like. Would a
20 pounder work as well? Spoiler Alert: Yes.

The most common question after we posted our now famous “Method X” for making perfect prime rib was “will this work with much bigger, full-size roasts?” Since I'd only used the method on smaller specimens, I was hesitant to green-light much larger pieces of beef without having tested it myself.

Well, thanks to Bill in Salt Lake City, we now have visual proof that this great technique does work on the big boys. Here’s what the fearless cook had to say:

“Your recipe does indeed work on larger bone-in prime rib roasts. I followed the recipe to the tee, on three 18 to 21 lb. roasts using three different ovens in three separate ski condo ovens, all with different thermostats. All came out perfectly. I had 29 very pleased snowmobilers!”

As everyone knows, there are few groups harder to please than a bunch of starving, probably drunk snowmobilers, so this must have really been amazing. Below you’ll see pictures of Bill’s fine work, along with the video showing this easy method. By the way, after seeing the size of Bill’s slices, if you ever get invited to one of his prime rib dinners, you should definitely go. Thanks for sharing, Bill!

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Prime rib is very expensive, so no matter what method you use (traditional or Method X), you should always have a probe-style thermometer inserted so that the internal temp can be monitored, to avoid any chance of over-cooking. Set the probe alarm (125 F. for medium-rare) just in case, and pull the roast from oven even if there's still time left on the timer.

To read the full post, which includes the exact time/tempformula, click here. Enjoy!

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Whenever there’s a discussion about the history of celebrity chef pop culture, one name is invariably left out, and this Swedish Meatballs recipe served as a reminder of that sad fact. How anyone can talk about the pioneers of food television without including the Swedish Chef from the Muppets is beyond me.

His frenetic energy and charisma makes Gordon Ramsey seem like a shrinking violet by comparison. His technique surpasses Emeril's on every level, and if we’re just talking catch phrases, how can you even begin to compare “Yummo” to “Bork, Bork, Bork?”

Some use the excuse that he wasn’t actually real, that he was just a bunch of stained, smelly fabric, wrapped around some dude’s hairy forearm. Well, that may be true, but it goes beyond that. I believe there’s been a systematic discrimination against Swedish chefs, which has made advancing upward impossible. I call it the ice ceiling.

Do NOT forget the Lingonberry jam!

Anyway, in related news, these Swedish meatballs rocked! Unlike most of the recipes I post here, I’ve had little experience with the recipe, but was very happy with the results, except for one major issue, which I mention in the video. I broke the cardinal rule of meatball making, and used lean meat.

Not paying attention, I picked up a package of ground pork that turned out to be 95% lean. The horror. I might as well have used tofu. Nonetheless, I loved the flavor, but implore you to use regular ground beef, and ground pork with a 75/25 lean-to-fat ratio. Do that, and you’ll be enjoying a plate of meatballs even the world's most under appreciated celebrity chef would love. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

For the meatballs:

2 tbsp butter

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

1/3 cup plain bread crumbs

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

pinch of cayenne

1 pound ground chuck

1 pound ground pork

*Note: you can always cook a little piece to taste for salt, and adjust from there.

Brown meatballs in 425 degrees F. oven for about 20-25 minutes.

For the sauce:

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp  all-purpose flour

3 1/4 cups beef broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

View the complete recipe

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The weather just turned cold and wet here in San Francisco, and when that happens I always crave something hot and comforting, ladled from a steaming pot. I do have a brand new video to post for Friday that fits the bill nicely, but due to circumstances beyond my control, it will not be up until late in the day. 

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this video recipe for beef merlot that I posted a few years ago. It’s an easy take-off on beef bourguignon, and one of my all-time, cold-weather favorites. Be sure to read the original post here, to find out why the heck I used merlot. Enjoy!


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I had heard that some sauerbratens were finished by thickening the sauce with ground gingersnaps, but had never tried it since it just sounds so wrong. It certainly doesn’t seem very German. Cookies in a sauce? What’s next, laughing in public?

Anyway, I’ve had a lot of “do something German!” food wishes lately, and since I’ve wanted to post another short ribs recipe, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to go full cookie. The results shocked and amazed me. This was comfort food at it's finest.

The 24-hour marinade ensured the succulent rib meat had that signature tanginess, and those little cookies not only gave the sauce a beautiful texture, but also added a great spicy sweetness. I am now officially in favor of using cookies to finish savory sauces.

With cooler weather on the way, it’s time to rediscover the simple joy of slowly stewed meat, and what better way than with this delicious take on a German classic? I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the marinade

3 lbs short ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2/3 cup cider vinegar

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups water, plus 1 cup cold water at end to cool marinade down

2 bay leaves

9 whole cloves

12 juniper berries

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon salt

*Marinate at least 24 hours

Then stew with:

1 chopped large onion

1 chopped carrot

2 ribs celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup water

1 cup chicken or beef broth

2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup crushed gingersnaps

salt and pepper to taste

View the complete recipe

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This delicious and vividly colored beef borscht is the first soup I can ever remember eating. Every summer, we’d drive to New York City to visit my father’s side of the family. His father was Ukrainian, and his mother was Polish, and like the pierogis they’d have ready for us, this beef and beet soup was always a very welcomed part of the trip.

It was also this soup that started my lifelong love of adding sour cream to things. The way the tangy, rich cream melted into the hot, beefy broth was a wonder to behold, and unlike any other soup I’d eat the rest of the year. Speaking of beefy broth, I only used one measly piece of shank, but you are welcome to add one or two more to make this even more awesome.

Of course, there are a thousand versions of borscht, and as usual I have no idea how authentic this is, which is fine since, well, it’s soup for God’s sake. Beside what vegetables to add or delete, there is also the question of temperature.

Word on the street is that the Ukrainian/Russian versions are served piping hot, and that the Polish versions are served chilled. However, there does seem to be a general agreement as far as beverage pairings go. I’ll let one of my YouTube followers, Afterapplepicking, explain:

“Hot, beefy, red, Russian borscht is only to be served with copious amounts of beer or vodka. Which is quite a distinction from the cold, vegetarian, pink Polish borscht, which is only to be served with copious amounts of beer or vodka.”

Well said! Anyway, I hope you give this blast from my soupy past a try soon, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients (amounts not critical!)

2-3 quarts of beef broth

(to make your own: simmer a well-browned beef shank or two in 3 quarts of water for 4 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone, and completely flavorless)

1 bay leaf

1 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 onion, chopped

3 cups sliced beets

2 cups chopped cabbage

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup white vinegar, or to taste

sour cream and dill or chive to garnish
*This soup doesn't require a lot of thought. Simply simmer everything until tender!

View the complete recipe

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