Orange-Glazed Beets

Thanksgiving. Year three at the altar with the expanded restaurant humming behind us. Thirty-eight people. Jim and Diane from Duluth. Roberto and Elena from Maryvale. The cousins, the neighbors, the staff who are now family, the regulars who have become friends. The table at the altar is not big enough — it has never been big enough, and this year Jessica rented two additional tables and we created a T-shaped arrangement that extended from the patio into the yard, a runway of food and family that stretched thirty feet from the altar to the lemon tree.

The tamale assembly line: 176 tamales. The count continues its annual ascent. Sofia's projection from last year's statistics report: 200 by 2028. At the current rate, Sofia will be proven right. Sofia is always proven right. The girl's statistical models are as reliable as Jessica's financial projections, which means the Rivera women have cornered the market on accuracy and the Rivera men contribute fire and stubbornness.

The turkey: twenty-eight pounds, the largest yet, smoked for seven hours, the best turkey I have produced in twelve years of smoking turkeys. The brisket from Rivera's: twenty pounds, because the restaurant table keeps growing and the brisket keeps following. The sides: everything. The full Rivera-Johansson catalog. The table groaned. The table held. The table always holds.

Jim's toast: "To another year of eating better than I eat at home. Diane, I love your cooking. But Marcus — " he paused, and Diane said, "Finish that sentence carefully, Jim." Jim said, "Marcus cooks differently than you." Diane said, "Coward." The table laughed. Jim and Diane, seventy and sixty-seven, married forty-four years, the Minnesota couple who discovered Hatch chiles and carne asada and birria tacos through their daughter's marriage to a Mexican firefighter from Phoenix. The cultural exchange has been bilateral and delicious.

After dinner, Roberto fell asleep at the table. Not in the recliner, not in a chair — at the table. His head lowered slowly onto his crossed arms and he slept while the family talked and laughed and the dishes were cleared around him. Elena did not wake him. She put a blanket over his shoulders. He slept for forty-five minutes at the Thanksgiving table, surrounded by the family he built and the food he inspired. The sleep was not alarming. The sleep was earned. The man who has been standing and serving and grilling for sixty-eight years fell asleep at a table surrounded by thirty-eight people who love him. The sleep was the most honest review of the meal I have ever witnessed: the food was so good, the company so warm, the safety so complete, that Roberto Rivera could close his eyes and rest.

A table that stretches thirty feet and feeds thirty-eight people requires sides that can hold their own next to a twenty-eight-pound smoked turkey and twenty pounds of brisket — and this year, the Orange-Glazed Beets did exactly that. Jessica had added them to the Rivera-Johansson catalog two years ago almost as an afterthought, a pop of jeweled color against all that smoke and masa, and every year since Roberto has reached for them first. If a man who spent sixty-eight years behind a grill reaches for the beets before the brisket, you write the recipe down and you share it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs medium beets (about 7–8), trimmed and scrubbed
3/4 cup fresh orange juice (from about 2 large oranges)
1 tablespoon orange zest
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Roast the beets. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 45–55 minutes, until a paring knife slides in with no resistance. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes inside the foil.
Peel and slice. Once cool enough to handle, unwrap the beets and rub the skins off using paper towels or a clean kitchen towel — they will slide right off. Slice beets into 1/2-inch rounds or wedges and set aside.
Build the glaze. In a wide skillet or saucepan over medium heat, combine the orange juice, honey, butter, and apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until the glaze is reduced by about half and coats the back of a spoon.
Glaze the beets. Add the sliced beets to the skillet and toss gently to coat in the glaze. Cook over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the beets are heated through and deeply lacquered.
Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Stir in the orange zest, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving platter and scatter the chopped parsley over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Orange-Glazed Beets — The Side Dish That Earned Its Place at the Altar Table