Oxtail (Beef) Borscht

CO2 602 g 2 (-62%1)

Time 45 Min. + 5h

Cost CHF 4.50

11 Portionen gekocht / 10.978 kg CO2 gespart

A Russian classic. This hearty bone broth soup makes an excellent cold weather meal. Finish with sour cream, fresh dill, and a slice of rye bread to keep the meal true to its Russian roots. Oxtail can often be found behind the butcher counter at your local grocery store, and the use of this cut follows the ‘nose to tail’ principle, encouraging use of meat pieces not normally in high demand by recognizing their lower environmental burden. However, this cut of beef provides plenty of nourishing collagen, marrow, and high biological value protein at a fraction of the carbon that the more highly marketable cuts require. For further information, see the following link:

https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/bitstream/11475/12098/3/Stucki_2015_LCM_v1.0.pdf

Ingredients for 8 servings

600gRye or Multigrain Bread
400gOxtail
3 Tbsp (45ml)Olive Oil
5 Medium (500g)Onions
5 Medium (400g)Carrots
1 Medium (80g)Leek
1 Head (45g)Garlic
4 Medium (500g)Beets
4 Medium (400g)Potatoes
1/2 head (150g)Cabbage
1 Can (280ml)Diced Tomatoes
7LCold Water
10gChopped Dill
200gSour Cream
7Peppercorns
3Bay Leaves
To TasteSalt and Pepper

 

Energy

740kcal

37%

F

26g

37%

F (sat.)

8.5g

43%

CH

77g

30%

Fi

14.5g

58%

P

36g

72%

Ca

220mg

28%

Fe

7.5g

54%

Zn

8.8g

88%

B12

1.6µg

73%

Percent Daily Value (DV)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp Olive Oil in a heavy bottomed pot (minimum 10L capacity). Sear both sides of the oxtail/bones on high heat until brown, season with salt and pepper. Add 2 onions, 2 carrots, and the leek – roughly chopped, along with 2 garlic cloves, 5 pepper corns and 2 bayleaves. Allow to fry in the oil and meat juices for a few minutes to distribute the flavours in the oil. Add 7L of cold water and bring the stock to a soft boil. Once a boil has been reached, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pot, and allow to simmer for 3-4 hours as the stock develops.

2. Using a sieve, remove all solid vegetable elements and retain the stock. Pull out the oxtail bones, remove all pieces of meat, and set aside to add back to the soup later.

3. Grate the remaining carrots and beets, and finely dice the onions. Heat 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil on medium heat in a large soup pot, and sautee the vegetables in the oil until the onion becomes slightly translucent (~5-10 minutes). Add 5 cloves of minced garlic and sautee for 5 more minutes, until fragrant. Add 1 cup of the stock and allow to soften for 5 minutes. Add the can of diced tomatoes and the remaining stock and cook covered for 30 minutes.

4. Dice the potatoes into 3cm cubes, and slice the cabbage lengthways into fine strips. Add these and the cooked oxtail meat to the soup, and continue to simmer covered for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

5. To finish the soup, add salt and additional pepper or minced garlic to taste. Ladle the soup up in individual bowls, and garnish with a spoonful of sour cream and fresh chopped dill. Serve with 1-2 slices of Rye/dark bread.