Makes 3 servings
- 1 cup of yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon grated horseradish or ½ a clove of garlic very finely chopped (see notes)
- 1 large (1 lb or larger) beet or several smaller ones, tops and tails removed
- olive oil
- 3 handfuls of salad greens, peppery arugula much preferred
- balsamic glaze for an impressive finish
Special equipment
- coffee filter
microwave
waxed paper
grill
Method
- Prepare the yoghurt sauce as much as a day ahead by draining off much of the whey. A coffee filter is perfect here, but a paper towel will work in a pinch. Mix in the horseradish so that it can begin to diffuse through the yoghurt.
The next day, preheat your grill while your scrub (but do not peel) your beet(s).
Prick the beet(s) with a fork, much as you would prepare potatoes for cooking in the microwave. Place on a plate and cover with a loose tent of wax paper (unless you want to dye the interior of your microwave a royal purple). Cook for about 6 minutes or until almost done, but rotate vertically at least once so you don’t get flat spots.
Cut the beet(s) into ¾ inch slices; coat top, bottoms, and side with olive oil and place on the grill. Give them about 5 minutes each side. You want them to carmelize, not char and blacken.
To serve, place on a bed of greens, surround with the yoghurt sauce, drizzle with some balsamic glaze, and serve forth.
Notes
-
Isn’t a horseradish sauce overdoing the whole beef metaphor here? Not really: horseradish is often paired with beets whether served hot or cold in eastern Europe. But if it bothers you, make the garlic sauce instead. Either way, you won’t be able to resist dipping those side potatoes into the sauce.↩
We’ve been grilling baby beets this way for years (“steamy explosions of purple sweetness”), but it was Philly Chef Josh Lawler’s beet-as-steak dish that inspired us to try it as a main course.
Suggestions
- Serve with a side of roasted rosemary potatoes. You can cheat and prepare them the same way you did the beets: prep in the microwave and finish off on the grill.
Don’t want to deal with draining yoghurt a day ahead? Try a soft goat cheese instead. You’ll still have a sharp tangy contrast to the sweet beet with the added appeal of salt, but patrons will be less tempted to dip the potatoes into your thick goat cheese than your yoghurt sauce.