1-2 center cut beef shank (s)
1 beef soup bone
6 medium/large beets with greens
2 lemons or lemon juice
32 oz. sour cream (I use fat free)
1/2 oz. fresh dill
5-7 tsp. salt (taste as you go)
1 onion, finely chopped
8-9 quarts of water

In a large pot (I used a 22 quart pot), put in beef shank (s) and beef soup bone. Fill with water till it's 1-inch over the beef. Boil for one hour.

Prepare beets: Rinse and remove skin from the beets, then shred beets using a food chopper/processor or hand food grater. (Wear rubber gloves when handling beets to avoid stained hands.) I slice the stem and leaf portion by hand with a knife into 1-inch pieces. Add chopped beets to the pot with water and beef already boiling.

Add 1 finely chopped onion (optional).

Add finely chopped fresh dill and the juice of two lemons or a 2-3 Tbsp. of lemon juice.

Season with salt, but taste as you go so you don't overdo it.

Finally, take 2-3 cups of the soup from the pot and put into a separate smaller pot to slightly cool. Stir in sour cream, stirring until sour cream has dissolved. Return that portion to the large pot.

This yields an enormous amount of servings, but I come from a large family and this is how I was instructed to prepare this family favorite.

Submitted by: Rosie