Bowl of Beef Rib Soup, Hetman-Style
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Beef Rib Soup, Hetman-style


Ukraine   -   Yushka z reber, po-het'mans'ky
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 3 qts
***
3 hrs
Yes		 A hearty and very flavorful beef soup attributed to the region of the Ukranian Kozaks. I's easy to make - see Method, and also Hetman.

2
2
1/2
1/2
1/2
4
2
2
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9
7
7
13
1
2
1
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1
2
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1/4
#
cl
c
t
t
oz
T
c
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oz
oz

oz
c
c
t
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T
T
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c
Beef Short Ribs (1)  
Garlic
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Ham, smoked
Bacon drippings
Wine, dry red
-- Vegetables
Onion
Mushrooms (2)
Peppercorns, blk
Potatoes (3)
Stewed Tomatoes
Beef Stock
Salt
-- Finish
Flour
Sour Cream (4)
-- Garnish
Parsley, chopped
Make   -   (3 hrs - 45 min work)
  1. Crush GARLIC and rub BEEF all over with it.
  2. Mix Flour, Salt and Pepper.
  3. Chop HAM fine.
  4. Melt Bacon Drippings. I start this recipe in a 3-1/2 quart sauté pan and transfer to a 5 quart pot when the vegetables are added. A 4 quart Dutch oven will work, especially if you're braising in the oven.
  5. Dredge Beef in the Flour mix to coat lightly and fry Beef until medium browned on all sides.
  6. Stir in HAM and Wine. Cover tightly and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until beef is almost tender.
  7. Meanwhile:   Chop ONIONS small. Slice MUSHROOMS about 1/8 inch thick. Crush Peppercorns medium. Mix all.
  8. Peel POTATOES and dice about 1/2 inch on a side. Hold in cold water until needed.
  9. When Beef is nearly tender, stir in Onion mix, drained Potatoes, Tomatoes, Stock and Salt. Cover tightly and simmer slowly for another hour until Beef is very tender.
  10. Adjust Seasoning and Liquid as needed.
  11. Remove Bones and cut Beef into soup size pieces as you like. Return Beef to the soup.
  12. Whisk together Flour and Sour Cream. Stir into the soup and keep just below a simmer for about 5 minutes. Do not let it come to a boil.
  13. Serve hot in individual bowls garnished with chopped Parsley.
NOTES:

  1. Beef Short Ribs:

    These should be "bone in", as boniness is considered important to this soup. Other bony cuts such as meaty shanks can be used if you can't get an acceptable price on Short Ribs.

  2. Mushrooms:

      In Ukraine, wild mushrooms are likely to be used, but they're hard to get and expensive in North America. You can use white mushrooms, or some of the small King Trumpet mushrooms now common in Southern California, or whatever you can get.

  3. Potatoes:

      White Rose potatoes work well, but other waxy or boiling potatoes will too. Avoid "Yukon Gold" type potatoes which tend to turn to mush if cooked much more than the minimum. For details see our Potatoes page.

  4. Sour Cream:

      The flour will stabilize the sour cream somewhat, but best to use the highest fat content sour cream you can get to prevent curdling. I have used Altadena, which is 6 grams per 30 grams (20%) but 9 grams (30%) would be more stable.

  5. Method:

      The pattern recipe does all the simmering in a preheated 325°F/165°C oven, but here in Sunny Southern California we don't fire up ovens unless we really need to. I usually simmer on the stovetop, which works fine. Of course, if this soup actually was made by Kozaks, it would have been simmered in a cauldron over a fire.

  6. Hetman:

      This name probably comes from the Cossack Hetmanate. Hetman was the title for the highest military officers in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which long ruled Ukraine. When the Kozaks rebelled against Polish Hetman Mikolaj "Bear Paw" Potocki in 1648, they set up their own domain and used the same title for their leader.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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