I recently got a lovely bunch of chioggia beets in my CSA box and decided the beautifully brightly-colored beets needed to be a rock star side dish for some grilled pork I had on an upcoming menu. Chioggia beets are a mild variety of beet that's really quite sweet and perfect for all manner of serving, but I opted to pressure cook them to get the flesh mostly tender and the skins easy to remove and then sauté them with coconut oil, honey, and hot sauce for a side dish that's not easily forgotten.
I love how pretty this dish looks, but I could literally make a meal of just these beets. They are that good. If you don't have chioggia beets, golden beets also work beautifully. And, while I served them as a side alongside grilled pork, they could also be added to a stunning main dish salad, worked into a stir-fry, or tucked into a wrap alongside spicy chickpeas or pulled pork.
As September brings us weather that has us jumping into the lake to cool off and also a morning chill that has us reaching for a blanket, recipes like this one are here to guide us through the changing seasons and remind us that harvest time is definitely worth waiting for.
Spicy Honeyed Beets
- 2 lb. chioggia or golden beets
- 1 c. water
- 1 T. coconut oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1-2 tsp. hot sauce -- I used Tabasco sriracha
- 2 T. honey
If using an Instant Pot, scrub the beets and trim any greens away (reserve for another use). Place the beets on a trivet in the Instant Pot and add the 1 cup of water. Process for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of your beets. Allow the pressure to release naturally and, once cooled enough to handle, gently rub the skins off the beets and discard. You can also omit the water and roast the beets wrapped in foil in a 400° F oven for close to an hour - start checking for doneness after 20 minutes as smaller beets will roast faster. Remove the skins as described above. Slice the beets into bite-sized pieces.
Heat the coconut oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beets and lightly salt them. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until glistening and just lightly textured on the edges. Add the hot sauce and honey and cook, stirring constantly, for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the beets are fully coated. Serve warm.
- Yields: 3-4 servings
- Preparation Time: Instant Pot: 40 minutes, Oven: 75 minutes