Schi with Beef, Cabbage, and Shitake Mushrooms
INGREDIENTS for BEEF STOCK:
= 2 lb. (1 kg) beef shanks with marrow bone
= 1 yellow or white onion
= 2 carrots
= 1 turnip
= 3-4 celery stems – coarsely cut
= 2 bay leaves
= Black pepper corns
INGREDIENTS for SCHI:
= 1 medium white cabbage head – thinly sliced
= 1 carrot – grated
= 1 lb. (500 g) shitake mushrooms – sliced
= 2 fresh meaty tomatoes
= 4-5 potatoes – cut into strips as for French-fries
= Olive oil for browning mushrooms
= 1 small dried hot pepper or a pinch of dried Chili peppers
= 2 table spoons Kosher salt
= Sour cream for serving (optional)
= 1 bunch of Parsley for serving (optional) – chopped
COOKING:
First – we are cooking beef stock. Wash the meat and put it in a large pot. Wash and peel an onion, cut in half and add to the pot. Also add to the pot: 2 carrots cleaned and scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise, coarsely cut celery stems, and cleaned and quartered turnip. Fill up the pot with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat.
When the water starts boiling, remove the froth with a slotted spoon, reduce the heat to low, add 2 bay leaves and 10-15 black pepper corns to the pot. Cook the beef in the covered pot over very low heat for 1½ hours.
While the broth is being cooked, prepare the vegetables for the schi: thinly slice the cabbage, grate the carrot and mix with the cabbage. Wash and peel potatoes and using a potato cutter cut potatoes into strips. Put the cut potatoes in a bowl and cover with cold water to prevent potatoes from turning dark.
In a large frying pan with flat bottom heat olive oil and brown the sliced mushrooms over high heat. Make sure you put the mushrooms in one layer to prevent them from releasing too much of their juices. Brown mushrooms in batches if necessary – the mushrooms should be browned but not turned into soup or dry out.
When the beef is cooked through and tender, take it out from the pot and put it in a bowl, cover and set aside. Strain the broth through cheese cloth and discard the boiled vegetables.
Put the pot with strained broth on the stove and bring to a boil over high heat then put the browned mushrooms into the pot and bring to a boil. Add sliced cabbage with a grated carrot and once again bring to a boil. Drain the cut potatoes and add them to the boiling schi. Once potatoes started boiling add hot peppers and halved tomatoes.
Add 2 table spoons of kosher salt and cook schi until potatoes are tender – about 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and leave the schi on the stove in the covered pot for 10-15 minutes.
Serve in warm bowls with pieces of beef, sour cream, and chopped parsley.
