Grandmother Lusia’s Ukranian Gherkin, Pork and Buckwheat Soup

This soup, called rassolnik, is my grandmother Lusia’s dish. She was both strong and gentle, a mother of six and an incredible cook. The meat needs to have a good amount of fat on it, as this is the whole point of using gherkins - they cut through the fat beautifully. You should only use brined gherkins, as even the nicest vinegar will spoil this dish. Look for a label with ogórek kwaszony in Polish or Eastern European shops. It does not take long to make this