SOUP DAY

 “Borscht is Veselka: We serve 5,000 gallons of the stuff every year. While at Veselka we cook the beets and the meat on separate days, you can do it all at the same time, as long as you’ve got enough large pots to handle it all. None of the work is very time- consuming, although the individual components simmer for several hours, so you’ll need to pick a time when you’ll be home, though not necessarily in the kitchen. You can easily double or triple this recipe (again, as long as you have large enough pots). After all, at Veselka, we work with 250 pounds of beets at a time. And keep in mind that borscht, like most soups, freezes beautifully.

The beets for our borscht are cooked in two separate batches: One batch is used to make “beet water,  

a kind of rich beet stock. The remaining beets are cooked and grated. The process may sound a little 

complicated when you read it, but after you follow the instructions once, the logic will become clear,

and I’m convinced that it’s this two- step process that lends our borscht its distinct taste and depth of

flavor

Ingredients

8 first course, or 4–6 main course servings

3 pounds (10 to 12) small beets, scrubbed thoroughly but not peeled

9 tablespoons white vinegar

One 2-pound boneless pork butt, halved

8 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock

extract

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon whole allspice berries

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced

3 large celery stalks, sliced

1 small head of green cabbage (about ¾ to 1 pound), shredded (about 4 cups)

2 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

One 15-ounce can lima beans, drained and rinsed

Salt

Step 1

To make the “beet water,” roughly chop 2 pounds of the beets (select the smaller ones)preferably in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Place the chopped beets in a large stockpot. Add 10 cups of water and 1 tablespoon vinegar.

Step 2

Place the stockpot over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmerfor 2 hours. (If it seems like the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you may need to cover thepot partially with an offset lid.) The beets should be extremely soft and the liquid bright red.

Step 3

Strain the liquid, pressing the cooked beets against the side of the strainer to (continue to next post)