Alliterations help me connect ideas. I was looking for a flavorful medium to cook golden beets. I came across a vat of Texas Pete's Buffalo Wing sauce. I had never had Buffalo beets before. I felt the acidity and heat from the sauce would compliment the sweet earthiness of the beets.
I started by combining the wing sauce with water. Then I added the beets and simmered them for an hour and a half. When the beets were cake-tester tender I turned off the heat and let them cool in the cooking liquid. Then I peeled them and strained and reserved the flavorful cooking liquid.
I cut the beets into wedges and deep fried them for several minutes to create a nicely browned crust on their exterior. For the first test I put them into a sixth pan and glazed them with some of the reserved cooking liquid and several knobs of butter. The sauce emulsified, gently coating the beets. The heat of the Buffalo wing sauce did not overpower, instead the beets were spicy, earthy, rich, and aromatic with a sweet, lingering finish.
Years Past
