Borshch Moskovsky (Moscow-Style Beet Soup)
To serve 6 to 8
2 tablespoons of butter
1/ 2 cup of finely chopped onions
1 1/ 2 pounds of beets, cooked, peeled and cut into strips 1/8 inch wide by 2 inches long (5 cups-you can also shread the beets in a food processor)
1/ 4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped *
2 teaspoons of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts of beef stock (see below)
1/ 2 pound of white cabbage, quartered, cored and coarsely shredded
1/ 2 pound of boiled ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 pound boiled brisket from the stock, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 sprigs parsley, tied together with 1 bay leaf
1/ 2 cup of finely cut fresh dill or chopped parsley
1 cup of sour cream
In a 6- to 8-quart pot, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onions and, stirring frequently, cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the beets, then add the wine vinegar, sugar, chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Pour in 1/ 2 cup of stock, cover the pan and simmer undisturbed for 50 minutes.
Pour the remaining stock into the pot and add the chopped cabbage. Bring to a boil, then stir in the ham, frankfurters and beef. Submerge parsley and bay leaf in the soup, add another teaspoon of salt, and simmer, partially covered, for 1/ 2 hour.
Transfer the borsch to a large tureen and sprinkle with fresh dill or parsley. Accompany the soup with a bowl of sour cream, to be added to the borsch at the discretion of each diner.

BEEF STOCK
1 pound of fresh lean brisket of beef
5 pounds of marrow bones, cracked
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 large carrot, scraped
2 celery tops, 6 sprigs of parsley and 2 bay leaves tied together with a string
1 tablespoon of salt
In a heavy – to 8-quart pot, bring the pound of beef, beef bones and 4 quarts of water to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam and scum as they rise to the surface. Add the onion, carrot, tied greens and salt, partially cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender but not falling apart. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon, cut in into small pieces and set them aside. Continue to simmer the stock partially covered, for about 4 hours longer. Then strain the stock through a fine sieve set over a large bowl, discarding the bones and greens. With a large spoon, skim off and discard as much of the surface fat as you can. The stock is then ready.


(When I lived up north, I would strain the stock into a large pot and put it out in the garage overnight. The fat would then form a layer on top of the stock. I would carefully remove the fat layer and have no-fat stock.)