
I'm redeeming myself today on the beet front. From the get-go I knew I wanted to make bbq sandwiches with leftovers for one of my meals. I mean, it's rare that leftovers can be so delicious, but something magical happens when you combine leftover meat and bbq. Many of the recipes for bbq sauce call for ketchup, but I wanted to start from scratch and use whole tomatoes. In the midst of making my sauce, I saw some beets on the counter and I thought, hmm, why not toss those in too. The result is a sweet and tangy sauce with a little zip at the end.

I let the sauce simmer on the stovetop for about an hour, until the beets had softened. Once everything was soft and melded together, I put it all in the blender and puréed it. Since I wasn't ready to make my sandwiches, I put the sauce in a jar and popped it in the fridge.

When dinnertime came around, I simply poured the sauce in a pan, added my meat along with about a cup of water. I ended up adding a little more hot pepper flakes because I like heat. Once the water had evaporated and the meat had softened and warmed up, I took it off the heat. I picked up some ciabatta rolls from one of my favorite bakeries and added the meat.
The result is a delicious, complex sauce. It starts sweet with hints of brown sugar, then moves into a tangy flavor from the beets and vinegar and ends up with a little spice. It's a delicious sauce that's unlike any other bbq sauce I've had yet it still feels right at home on a sloppy sandwich.
Also on the plate, sautéed green beans and awesome rosemary potatoes inspired by
this recipe from the Purple Foodie. The potatoes are first boiled, then smashed, drizzled with olive oil and rosemary and then baked. They make for a tender yet crispy texture and really bring out the delicious potatoey flavor of fresh dug spuds.
beet bbq sauce
makes about a quart
1 cinnamon stick
6 cloves
1 bay leaf
3 beefsteak tomatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 small beets, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper flakes
water as needed
1
Wrap cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaf in cheesecloth.
2
Combine the tomatoes, beets and onion in a large pot and place over medium heat. Add vinegar, brown sugar and honey. Let simmer until the beets soften, about an hour. Add water if sauce starts to dry up.
3
Once beets have softened, pour mixture into a blender and purée. Use immediately or jar it and let cool. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
July 15th, 2009 at 9:39 am
say what?!? i’m at a loss for words. in a good way.
July 15th, 2009 at 9:49 am
beets are my favorite! This is so innovative!!!
July 16th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
I would have never thought of doing this. I adore beets, so I imagine it’s delicious.
You say “It’s rare that leftovers can be so delicious,” but I find the opposite to be true! Figuring out what to do with leftovers puts restraints on cooking, for sure, but that’s when I’m the most creative.