Ensalada de Remolacha con Queso Valdeón

Before you start

• Front-load the labor.

  Roast and wedge the beets, whisk the vinaigrette, segment the oranges, and crumble the cheese up to 48 hours in advance. Store everything separately in the refrigerator so your pickup takes less than three minutes.

Ingredients

• red beets1 lb
• golden beets1 lb
• Spanish extra-virgin olive oil2 tbsp
• kosher salt1 tsp
• black pepper1/2 tsp
• Vinagre de Jerez3 tbsp
• fresh orange juice1 tbsp
• honey1 tsp
• shallot1 small
• Spanish extra-virgin olive oil1/3 cup
• kosher salt1 pinch
• olive oil1 tbsp
• Vinagre de Jerez1 tbsp
• Queso Valdeón4 oz
• oranges2 med
• roasted salted pistachios1/3 cup
• crisp mixed greens4 cup
• flaky sea salt1 pinch

Method

1. 01

   Roast the beets.

   Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wrap the red and golden beets in separate heavy-duty aluminum foil packets so the colors do not bleed, drizzling each parcel with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and seasoning generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a paring knife easily glides through the center of the largest root.

2. 02

   Peel and wedge the cooled beets.

   Carefully open the foil packets. Once cool enough to handle, use a paper towel to simply rub the skins off the beets—they should slip right off. Trim the roots and stems, cut the beets into 1-inch wedges, and store the red and golden beets in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.

3. 03

   Emulsify the sherry vinaigrette.

   In a small jar or bowl, combine the minced shallot, 3 tablespoons of Vinagre de Jerez, orange juice, honey, and a pinch of kosher salt. Let it sit for 5 minutes to macerate the shallot, then slowly whisk in the 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil until tightly emulsified.

4. 04

   Dress the greens.

   Just before serving, toss the mixed greens and orange segments in a large bowl with just enough of the sherry vinaigrette to lightly coat the leaves. Arrange the dressed salad on a large, flat serving platter.

5. 05

   Execute the high-heat pan flash.

   Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once screaming hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and immediately drop in the cold, pre-roasted beet wedges. Leave them undisturbed for exactly 45 seconds to blister the edges and caramelize the sugars, then toss once.

6. 06

   Glaze and plate the salad.

   Turn off the heat entirely and immediately splash 1 tablespoon of raw Vinagre de Jerez directly into the hot pan. It will instantly hiss and reduce into a sticky, aromatic glaze. Tumble the warm beets over the dressed greens, scatter the cold Queso Valdeón over the top to gently melt against the heat, and finish with the pistachios and flaky sea salt.

Notes

• Accept no substitutes for Queso Valdeón or Sherry Vinegar.

  Valdeón is a fierce, buttery blue cheese from the Picos de Europa wrapped in sycamore leaves; a premium Cabrales or Roquefort works in a pinch, but generic blue crumbles will turn chalky instead of yielding to the warm beets. Likewise, the complex, oak-aged acidity of authentic Vinagre de Jerez is the absolute lifeblood of the Spanish tapas bar—do not swap it for balsamic.

• Master the temperature contrast.

  The secret to this dish is thermodynamics. Serving purely cold food straight from the fridge is a home-entertaining trap. The blistering hot pan awakens the latent Maillard reaction in the root vegetables, and the contrast of the hot beet against the icy, pungent cheese creates the explosion of texture and flavor that defines the restaurant experience.

• Nail the tapas rhythm.

  This salad is designed to hit the table simultaneously with the jamón board and a bowl of warmed olives. It acts as the bright, acidic foil while you step back to the stove to execute the right olive-oil-to-garlic timing for your gambas al ajillo.