Polish Dill Pickle Soup with Ribs (Ogórkowa)

Wash and peel the potatoes and carrot. Dice the potatoes, cut the carrot into half-rounds and coarsely grate the fermented cucumbers. Prepare the ribs without rinsing them under the tap; pat dry with a paper towel if needed. Wash your hands and utensils after handling raw meat.

Cover the ribs with 1.5 liters of cold water, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and cook covered over low heat for 75–90 minutes, until the meat begins to pull away easily from the bones.

Remove the tender ribs to a clean plate. Add the potatoes and carrot to the stock and cook for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, remove the meat from the bones, discard the cartilage and divide the meat into pieces.

Add the grated cucumbers and boneless meat only once the potatoes are tender. Cook for about another 5 minutes, until everything is hot. Adding the acidic cucumbers earlier can slow the softening of the potatoes.

Temper the sour cream with a few tablespoons of hot soup, pour it into the pot, and stir. Do not bring the soup to a vigorous boil after adding the sour cream.