Biff à la Lindström (Swedish Beet and Beef Patties)

From the garden

• 2 medium beets, peeled and grated on the fine holes of a box grater, squeezed dry in a towel · about 1 1/2 cups grated; wear an apron
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 1½ lb potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks · for boiling alongside
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)

From the pantry

• 1½ lb ground beef
• 3 tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped
• 5 eggs · 1 for the mix, 4 for frying on top
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar · stands in for the tang of the traditional pickled beets
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp butter · divided
• salt · to taste
• black pepper · to taste

1. Put the potatoes in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook 15–18 minutes until tender. Drain, toss with 1 tablespoon of the butter and the dill, and keep warm.
2. While the potatoes cook, toss the squeezed grated beets with the vinegar in a large bowl and let them sit 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, onion, capers, 1 egg, the cream, mustard, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and plenty of pepper. Mix with your hands just until evenly pink and combined; overworking makes them dense.
3. Divide into 8 patties about 3/4 inch thick and press a shallow dimple in the center of each so they stay flat. They will be soft and very red; that is right.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Fry the patties in two batches, 4–5 minutes per side, until deeply browned outside and cooked through (160°F in the center; ground beef with raw beet needs to reach it). Keep the first batch warm on a plate.
5. Wipe the pan, melt the last tablespoon of butter, and fry the 4 eggs sunny-side up, 2–3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft.
6. Serve two patties per person topped with a fried egg, with the buttered potatoes alongside. The pan butter spooned over the top is the traditional sauce.