A whole beef brisket – the point and the flat – is a large piece of meat usually weighing eight to 16 pounds that can take 12 to 20 hours to cook. By using the flat instead of an entire brisket the cooking time is greatly reduced, making it a good choice for winter cooking. (This recipe does require advance preparation.)
Story and photos by Sharon Hudgins Recipes: Solyanka Spicy Beet Borscht Goulash The nine countries that border on the Baltic Sea aren’t known for spicy cooking. Fish, pork, potatoes, and beets, along with mushrooms, sour cream, and dill, have been the flavors of the Baltic for centuries. Horseradish was the only thing that spiked up a cuisine where …
Originally from Central Europe, goulash soup is so tasty that its popularity has spread northward to the eastern Baltic region, too. Today you’ll often find it on menus in Germany, Poland, and the three Baltic States. As with other tangy soups in this region, Hungarian paprika is the spice that gives goulash soup its kick.
Borscht is another Ukrainian soup whose popularity long ago spread to the eastern Baltic countries, especially Russia where it’s now considered a national dish. Although borscht is usually not a hot-peppery soup, I’ve eaten some surprisingly spicy versions of it on my travels in Russia and Eastern Europe.
This soup of Russian/Ukrainian origin is also popular in the three Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Poland, and eastern Germany—an example of the influence of Russian foods on the cuisines of countries that were once under the domination of the Soviet Union. Solyanka’s popularity is attributed to its versatility (using any kind of leftover meat or fish) and the combination of piquant flavors that make you crave a second bowl of it.
