dinner « (y)our food choices™

Beets are a year-round veggie staple here in California. The varieties available to us vary throughout the year, but beets in some form are available at just about every farmers market around, not to mention the big grocery chains. And like potatoes, they’re crazy adaptable, perfect in spring salads, earthy breakfast hashes, and chocolate cake. They’re better roasted than boiled. We scrub them clean, trim their greens and wrap them in foil to roast in a hot oven. Roasted beets are easy to peel once they cool a bit. They’ll keep in the fridge for a week in a sealed container.

Garden variety red beets are sweet and delicious. But if you’re able to get your hands on some beautiful golden or variegated varieties like chioggia beets, buy them. Their colors are beautiful and less likely to “bleed” than dark red varieties like Bulls Blood. We’ve roasted beets that look like jewels after roasting, with beautiful golds and pinks swirling around in them. They’re a fun way to play with color and texture in all kinds of dishes.

When we’re on our game, we buy beets with greens, rather than trimmed bulk beets, because the greens are delicious and they’re nutritious, long stalks and all. They’re tender enough to eat raw, but their mild flavor makes them endlessly useful in any recipe that calls for fresh greens. We use them in soups and risottos for added color and bite. We really love these pickled beet greens. They’re crunchy, vinegary and a little spicy, the perfect partner to anything you’d embellish with hot sauce or salsa or pickles. Of course, you can pickle just about any green, but if you’re looking to put a bunch of beet greens to better use than building compost, pickle them.

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Roasted Beet Roots

A bunch of beets (4-5 beet roots) with the greens intact
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the stems from roots, setting the stems and leaves aside in cold water to clean and hydrate. Scrub the beet roots with a bristly brush to remove all mud and dirt. Dry the beets with paper towels.

On a baking sheet or in a roasting pan, place a large piece of aluminum foil in the bottom, enough to fold over the beets. Place the beets in the center of the foil and drizzle about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over them. Sprinkle liberally with salt, 1-2 tablespoons. Seal the beets inside the foil. Put the tray in the oven and roast for 40-60 minutes or until a knife pierces a beet easily. Remove from the oven and let cool for about an hour. Once cool enough to handle, using paper towels, peel the skins off the beets. The skins should easily slip off. Sometimes a paring knife is useful for peeling the beets if you want to take a more fussy approach.

Once the skins are removed, the beets can be sliced, diced, or served quartered. Keep them refrigerated and use in a salad or add to potato hash.

Pickled Beet Greens

Stems and leaves from a bunch of beets, and/or other greens
1/2 cup distilled vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
a good pinch of chili flakes
a good pinch of salt
pepper

In a medium pan, fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Meanwhile, clean and hydrate the beet stems and leaves in a bowl of ice water. Spin dry and separate the stems and leaves. Chop the stems into 1/8” pieces. Set aside. Combine all the leaves as tightly as possible, layering leaves on top of one another. Roll tightly, chop into 1/8”-1/4” strips. Chop the strips a few times to get smaller pieces. Set aside.

Add a pinch of salt to the boiling water then add the beet stems. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add the beet leaves. Simmer for 3 more minutes. Drain the stems and leaves (the water can be saved and used to flavor soups). Move the hot greens to a mason jar.

Over medium heat in a small pan, heat the vinegar, sugar, chili flakes, and salt. Heat until it almost comes to a boil. Pour the hot vinegar over the stems and leaves. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature until the stems cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate for at least three days before using.

Add pickled beet greens to salads, soups, toasted bread, pizza, rice bowls.

Welcome to Part II in our two-part series on beef short ribs. Thanks to a very happy mistake at the grocery store (who knew flanken cut style ribs could be cut thick), we’ve had the great fortune of eating short ribs two ways this summer. If you missed it, be sure to check out our take on grilled Korean style short ribs. This time around, we’re sharing Gerald Hirigoyen‘s take on English cut short ribs .

Different cuts and thicknesses of ribs require different cooking methods. A thinner cut, like the thin Korean flanken cut, will only require a few minutes on each side, especially if cooking them over a hot charcoal grill. English or the thicker-cut flanken style ribs we highlight here, require more time. And like almost all braised meats, the ribs are better when cooked, cooled, and left for a day or two in the refrigerator. The flavors grow more complex as the meat cools and reabsorbs the juices fromt he pan. The reheated braise is rich and delicious!

Braised short ribs are fork tender. They are a terrific companion to hot, creamy polenta and a glass of Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo. Served with a refereshing romaine salad, this is a dish to enjoy at any time of year!

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Beef Short Ribs in Moscatel
(from Pintxos by Gerald Hirigoyen as featured on the James Beard Foundation website)

2 pounds flanken-style beef short ribs, about 2 1/2 inchs thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground balck pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 (750-ml) bottle Moscatel wine
Bouquet garni of 5 or 6 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 6 to 8 sprigs flat-leaf parsley wrapped in a cheesecloth saceht or tied with kitchen twine
1/2 head garlic
1/2 jalepeno chile, stemmed and halved lengthwise
1 teasppon corieander seed
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise pods
3 whole cloves
2 cups chicken stock, or as needed to almost cover
2 tablespoons Moscatel vinegar
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Cut the ribs between the bones so you have individual pieces. Season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil to a large casserole or Dutch oven, and heat over high heat until it ripples. Add the ribs to the casserole and to brown them on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer to a plate.

Decrease the heat to medium, add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Return the ribs to the casserole and add the wine, thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, chile, coriander seed, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seed, star anise, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil, and cook for about 6 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and place in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.

Transfer the ribs to a plate. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a large bowl. You should have about 4 cups. Let sit for about 20 minutes, or until the fat rises to the surface. (You can also refrigerate the liquid for a few hours so the fat congeals on the surface, making it easier to remove.) Skim off the fat and discard it. Pour the defatted liquid into a saucepan, place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook for about 12 minutes, or until reduced to 1 cup. Remove from the heat and add the vinegar. (The ribs can be returned to the liquid, cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days before continuing. The flavor of the dish will improve during this rest period.)

To serve, reheat the ribs in the sauce in the oven until warmed through. Taste the sauce and add another splash of vinegar and some salt and pepper if needed. Arrange the ribs on a plate and pour the sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley.

Creamy Polenta

3 cups water
1 cup whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 cup polenta
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4-1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt and pepper

Bring to boil over medium heat in a medium sized pan the water and milk with the bay leaf and thyme. Gradually whisk in the polenta and salt and cook until thickened, approxiamely 15-20 minutes. More water may be added if polenta becomes too thick too soon. Once fully cooked, take the polenta off the heat and add the cheese and butter. Whisk until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.