Author Notes: Whenever I cooked beets I felt like I needed to do something with the greens. They are always so beautiful and it seemed a shame to waste them so I did some tests and found my favorite way to eat them. – Marisa Grace Desmond —Marissa Grace
Food52 Review: This may be the most thoughtful sauteed greens recipe we’ve ever encountered. Beet greens (which we think deserve more attention in the kitchen) are usually wilted in hot olive oil with a little garlic, and they’re delicious this way, but Marissa Grace Desmond plotted out ways to amplify the greens’ sweetness while tempering it with chilies. She has you brown garlic with shallot and red pepper flakes, then layer in sugar, black pepper and salt, before adding the greens and wilting them. Just before serving you splash the beet greens with sherry vinegar, which electrifies the whole dish. The key here is the sugar, which caramelizes with the garlic and tightens up the sauce, so by the time the greens are cooked (and beet greens should really be cooked), it wraps the greens in a cloak of sweet and fiery sauce. (By the way, we doubled the amounts here so it would serve 3 people; if you do this, add vinegar to taste.) – A&M —The Editors
Serves: 2
Ingredients
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1
bunch beet greens
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2
teaspoons chopped garlic
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1/2
teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
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1/4
teaspoon red pepper flakes
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2
teaspoons sugar
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1
teaspoon olive oil
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1
shallot, chopped
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1/4
cup water
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1/4
teaspoon salt
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2
teaspoons sherry vinegar
Directions
- Wash and trim your beet greens. If the stems are very thick it is worth trimming them back a bit.
- On medium heat, saute the garlic, shallot and red pepper flake in the olive oil until slightly browned. Add black pepper, sugar and salt.
- Place the beet greens into the pan, pour the water on and immediately cover. Do not remove the lid for a few minutes to allow the greens to wilt. Once they have cooked down, remove the lid and stir all of the ingredients together. Cook for a few more minutes allowing the water to evaporate.
- Just before removing pour the vinegar over the greens. Remove, serve and enjoy!
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Photo by James Ransom
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It looks like a lot of garlic and shallot for the quantity of greens, and it is. This is a zesty dish!
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Beet greens often look a little bruised and neglected atop the beets themselves. A quick rinse in cold water will revive even tired looking greens.
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We let the garlic and shallot brown a touch before we added the kale.
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Although it didn't specify to, after we added the greens and the water, we gave it a quick toss before putting the lid on and steaming them.
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We suggest you add vinegar to taste.
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