📍 Central Ukraine⏱ 95 min🍽 Serves: 4with meat

Shpundra — Pork and Beet Stew

An old dish with a tangy twist.

Where it comes from

Poltava Oblast, Cherkasy Oblast, Vinnytsia Oblast, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Kirovohrad Oblast

History

Shpundra is an older pork-and-beet dish known, among other sources, through literary references. Contemporary cooks bring it back to home and restaurant menus.

Today

This home adaptation uses ready-made, unsweetened beet kvass. The proportions are not an archival reconstruction.

Ingredients

• 600 g stewing pork
• 500 g beets
• 150 g onion
• 350 ml ready-made unsweetened beet kvass
• 30 ml neutral cooking oil

Method

1. Cube the pork, cut beets into small sticks, and slice the onion.
2. Brown the pork in oil in a heavy pot.
3. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add beets, beet kvass, salt, and pepper, with a little water if needed.
5. Cover and simmer for 60–80 minutes until the pork and beets are fully cooked and tender.

How to serve

Serve with the cooking juices and bread or potatoes.

Sources

• Cultural background

Check ingredients for allergens. Times and amounts are approximate.