Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450°. Wrap the beets in foil and roast for about 1 hour, until tender. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and quarter the beets.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, garlic, sugar, peppercorns and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let the pickling liquid cool to warm, about 15 minutes.

Step 3

Layer the beets, onion, eggs and dill in a heatproof 1-quart glass jar and cover with the pickling liquid. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate overnight.