The Beet Goes On: Mark’s Fave Way to Cook Them

Some people plain don’t like beets (to the point where some plant breeders have tried to produce a beet that doesn’t taste like a beet—really), but I think most people are just afraid of ruining their shirt or simply can’t deal with the potential stainage. In fact if you peel beets under running water with a regular vegetable peeler it’s not so bad; cut them on a plastic cutting board (and rinse everything right away to prevent lasting stains), and you can eat them raw. In a salad, with a shallot/sherry vinegar vinaigrette, they’re sensational.

There are ways to cook them without mess, also. The one I’ve relied upon for thirty or so years (taught to me by Jean-Georges), is to rinse them and, when they’re still wet, wrap them individually in aluminum foil, then bake them at 375°F for an hour or so until they’re tender; just pierce with a thin-bladed knife. Store them in the fridge, still wrapped, and when you want one or more, just rub the skin off under running water. That works well, and you can do the same thing – if slightly less effectively – in a covered casserole, with the beets sitting in a quarter-inch or so of water.