Vereshchaka - Pork & Beetroot Casserole
Submitted by George
Vereshchaka is a traditional Ukrainian pork casserole braised in beetroot rassol with bacon, allspice, and pearl barley. Topped with sour cream and fresh herbs, it’s hearty comfort food.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsVereshchaka is one of those dishes that tells you everything you need to know about Ukrainian home cooking: bold, resourceful, and built to warm you from the inside out.
Cubed pork and streaky bacon get browned until golden, then braised in beetroot rassol (the tangy brine from preserved beetroots) with whole peppercorns, allspice berries, and a handful of pearl barley that thickens the broth as it cooks.
After an hour in the oven, the meat is fall-apart tender and the liquid has reduced into a deep, earthy sauce with a subtle sweet-sour backbone. A dollop of sour cream and a scatter of fresh chervil and parsley finish it off.
Kitchen Tips
- Beetroot rassol is the brine from pickled or preserved beetroots. If you can’t find it, use the liquid from a jar of pickled beets mixed with a splash of cider vinegar.
- Brown the pork in batches so it sears properly. Crowding the pan steams the meat instead of giving it colour.
- Check the casserole halfway through and add a splash of water if it looks dry. You want a saucy consistency, not a stew that’s gone thick.
- Serve over buckwheat kasha for the most traditional pairing.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the meat into cubes and brown in the bacon fat or with streaky bacon.
Remove the meat from the pan and lightly brown the onions in the remaining fat.
Transfer the meat, onions and bacon to a casserole add the beetroot rassol or other liquid, sugar, salt, peppercorms, allspice berries and grain, and set covered in a medium oven to cook for about one hour.
If after half an hour the casserole seems too dry, water may be added until a satisfactory consistency is achieved.
Serve sprinkled with fresh herbs and a little sour cream if liked.
Beetroot Rassol - The liquid in which beetroot is preserved.
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