Ukranian Peasant Borscht - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 slices bacon, cut into 6 pcs each
2 2 lbs cross-rib roasts or 2 lbs round steaks, cut in 2 to 2 1/2 cubes
1 large onion
2 stalks celery
3 -4 large beets, leaving on 1 inch of stem and root attached
2 carrots
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
10 cups water
10 peppercorns
3 bay leaves
4 tablespoons beef stock mix (I used Knorr, to taste)
1 carrot, grated
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sour cream
10 potatoes (small to medium)

Preparation

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, brown bacon and render fat.
Add beef and brown.
Cut the onion, carrot and celery in half cross-wise and add to pot with beef.
Also add beets whole with skin, shredded cabbage and water.
Add pepper corns and bay leaves.
Bring to boil, then turn heat to medium low, cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours.
After an hour of cooking start boiling potatoes whole (skin on or off your choice) in a separate pot until soft (45 minutes).
When soup is ready turn off heat, with a slotted spoon remove the celery carrot and beets.
Discard celery and carrots or use for something else.
Leave beets on a separate plate or bowl until cool enough to handle (10 min).
Peel and grate beets back into the soup pot.
Add grated carrot.
Bring soup back to boil.
Add vinegar and lemon juice.
Cook 5 minutes longer.
To serve place a boiled potato in bowl and ladle soup on top.
Add a dollop of sour cream to each bowl.
Enjoy.