The beet stems and beet top are pressure cooked at high pressure for 3 minutes in a rich oxtail jus. Then we cool them in the cooking liquid to allow the flavors to mature. The next day we trim the stems into 3-inch lengths and leave the top au natural. We glaze them in the braising liquid, adding toasted yellow mustard seeds for spice and crunch. When everything is sticky and lacquered we accent the dish with cilantro stems and rounds of cilantro leaves.
This is a dish in progress. It's one of our ways of looking at the total ingredient and utilizing the extra bits. Eating the tender stems and the often discarded top accented with cilantro and mustard, in a rich, meaty glaze is a revelation. It reminds us that every part of a vegetable has edible value. The question now is where do we take these delicious afterthoughts next?
