Beet Greens, and the Burns Family Hot Dog Sauce

Some years ago, at the time I worked in Boston, I stopped at a produce market to buy vegetables. Among my choices were two large bunches of beets.

When it came my turn to check out the clerk solicitously said: "Here, let me cut those tops off for you." My reaction was instantaneous and sharp. "Don't you dare," I barked. I explained to the startled clerk how good steamed beet greens with a little butter (or olive oil), vinegar, salt and pepper could be.

When I was in elementary school one of the treats of early summer was beet greens, steamed with the small beets no bigger than a quarter still attached. We always planted an extra row of beets for such early harvesting. The moment the beets had matured enough that early picking was no longer advisable was a classic good news/bad news event -- the beets were well on their way to full size, but the early summer treat of greens and baby beets was history for another summer.

Beet greens are easy to fix. Simply cut off the larger beets, leaving behind about an inch of stem attached to the beet. Immerse the greens in cold water to rinse away any sand or dirt. Large stems can be detached and discarded or cut into smaller lengths and steamed with the greens, while smaller stems can be left attached.

Put the greens in a pot large enough to hold them. There is no need to dry them. Add about a quarter to a half inch of water to the pot, cover with a lid and cook over medium high heat until the greens are wilted and the stems tender -- about five to eight minutes once the water boils. Serve with butter or olive oil, a splash of your favorite vinegar, salt and pepper.

As for the beets, I think they are best baked. I know boiling seems easier but baking gives the beets a sweeter, nuttier flavor and takes no effort at all.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Simply rinse the beets in cold water, taking care not to cut or puncture them. Put them in a baking dish large enough to hold them without crowding, or make a pouch of heavy-duty aluminum foil. The pouch should be large enough to hold the beets without crowding. Seal the pouch or cover the baking dish tightly with foil, taking care that the foil is not punctured.

Cook for 90 minutes to two and a half hours, depending on the size of the beets. The beets are done when a fork easily pierces them. Remove the foil or undo the pouch, allow the beets to cool for 15 minutes or so, peel and store in the refrigerator. The beets can be eaten cold, hot or at room temperature. They are great cold with splashes of olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. The beets keep well.



With Labor Day fast upon us I want to share a long-cherished Burns family recipe, the origin of which I have forgotten. Greek restaurants and delis of my growing-up years featured a sauce that they put on grilled hot dogs, along with finely chopped raw onion. In fact, during my recent trip back East for my 50th high school reunion, I made a pilgrimage of sorts to the Texas Café on Broadway in Hornell, New York to see if they still served their famous Texas Hots with the sauce and chopped onions. They did! I made short work of two of them.

While in high school I was the night manager of the Majestic movie theater, located right across the street from the Texas, and many an evening meal was the Texas Hots. Indeed many a night off spent quaffing brews at nearby Angie's or the Ponce, two local hangouts, ended with a Texas Hot or two on the way home. I search for the recipe and origin of that sauce without success to this day.

We found a different but decent substitute, which the Burns family has made for family outings and dinners for decades. It is easy to make and is remarkably versatile.


Burns Family Hot Dog Sauce


1/2 pound ground beef
1 tsp. salt
Vegetable oil for sauteing beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 and 1/2 T. celery seed
1 and 1/2 T. chili powder
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce

Brown the onion, ground beef and salt in enough vegetable oil to film the bottom of the pan. Stir occasionally and cook until all the pink color of the meat is gone. Add all remaining ingredients, stir and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm.

This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator and freezes well.

To use the sauce, put a steamed or grilled hot dog in a roll, add a swipe of your favorite mustard, a layer of the hot dog sauce and a layer of finely minced onion. Enjoy!

By doubling the amount of ground beef, leaving the other ingredients as is and preparing the same way, you have the makings of a very good sloppy joe. Just serve the resulting mixture on hamburger buns.
You can also leave out the ground beef, salute the onions with the salt, add the other ingredients, and then cook cocktail size hot dogs in the sauce, serving them in the sauce as an appetizer or party item. You can accomplish the same thing by slicing full-size hot dogs into the sauce, creating what were called Barbecued Pennies in the school cafeteria in Cohocton, New York when I was in fourth grade.

I invite you to dream up your very own variations on this theme.

- Gene Burns