Meat Solyanka with Fermented Cucumbers, Olives, and Lemon

Cut the beef shin into two or three large pieces and put them in a pot holding about 5 l. Pour in all the cold water and slowly bring to a gentle simmer. For the first few minutes, skim the foam from the surface with a spoon, without discarding the broth. Add the bay leaves. Do not add salt at this stage: the salty cured meats, cucumbers, and olives will be added later.

Lower the heat, cover the pot leaving a small gap, and simmer very gently for about 2–2.5 hours. The liquid should barely tremble, releasing an occasional bubble. The beef should soften enough for a fork to enter without much resistance. If it is still tough, cook longer; if a substantial amount of liquid evaporates, add a little boiling water to keep the meat submerged. Prepare the remaining ingredients during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Finely dice the onion and cut the drained fermented cucumbers into thin half-moons or short strips. Do not add brine from the jar. Cut the sausage into half-moons about 3–4 mm thick and the ham into short strips. Drain the olives and leave them whole. All cucumber and olive quantities refer to the already drained, edible products.

Heat all the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1–2 minutes; do not let it burn. Add all the cucumbers, pour in about 150 ml of hot broth taken from the pot, and cover. Braise over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally; the soup base should stay moist.

Lift the tender beef onto a cutting board and remove the bay leaves. Leave all the broth in the pot and do not skim off the fat. Once you can hold the meat safely with a fork, cut it across the grain into bite-size pieces and return it immediately. Add the sausage, ham, and the entire contents of the frying pan. Rinse the pan with another small ladleful of broth from the pot, scraping the flavorful residue and oil into the soup. Stir carefully.

Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered for 15 minutes. Add all the black olives and all the ground pepper, then cook for another 5 minutes. The soup should remain brothy, with distinct pieces of meat and cucumber, without reducing heavily. Taste only now and add salt only if needed, no more than the specified 2 g.

Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and leave the soup for about 10 minutes to let the flavors blend. Finely chop the dill. Wash the lemon thoroughly, cut into six thin slices, and remove the seeds; you do not need to eat the tough peel. Stir the sour cream in its container so it is easy to divide into portions. Do not cook the toppings in the whole pot of soup.

Ladle the hot solyanka into six large bowls, dividing the meats, cucumbers, olives, and all the broth evenly. Add 20 g of sour cream, one lemon slice, and one-sixth of the dill to each portion. Serve immediately. If saving some soup for later, transfer it to smaller containers, cool quickly, and refrigerate; use within 2 days, reheating only the portion needed until hot. Add the sour cream, lemon, and dill after reheating.