Saturday, December 14, 2013

Brussels Sprouts




Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Shallot


Serves 6

  • 2 pounds brussel sprouts, trimmed & halved
  • 12 ounces smoked bacon, cut into thin strips
  • 5 shallots, julienned
  • 2tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • kosher salt & pepper to taste
  • 2tablespoons canola oil
  • heat oven to 400.

In a very large skillet, prefferably cast iron, cook bacon over med-low heat until crispy.

Remove with slotted spoon and reserve. Add canola oil and saute shallots until soft and begining to caramelize. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve with bacon.

Increase heat to med & add brussel sprouts to skillet, having as many with the cut side down as possible. Allow to cook for 3 min, transfer to oven & roast for about 15 minutes, until tender. Remove brussel sprouts from skillet. Add vinegar and sugar and cook until reduced by half and syrupy. Toss with brussel sprouts, bacon, and shallots. Season to taste with salt & pepper, serve.


It's in our DNA—nobody will eat Brussels Sprouts until they're at least 50.  I don't know why that is, but it is.  And, by age 50 you have already hard-wire decided that you don't like Brussels Sprouts, so who eats enough to keep farmers growing them?   Nobody knows.  However, the odds are 80-20 that no matter what your age, you will like these.   I've made them three times in the past two weeks, and we've et them all withing 24 hours. 

BTW, I threw in the little trick I use to store frozen bacon (and smoked pork jowls, which I use for stuff like this).  The problem with freezing bacon of course is it's a pain in the ass having to defrost a package for a few slices, right?  By laying individual slices on parchment paper, you can unroll, peel off what you need, and stick the roll back in the freezer.

You're welcome.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

While I will bow to you as my senior, and acknowledge your expertise... I would suggest that a similar dish has been a specialty of mine for quite some time.

I do not use the brown sugar or the vinegar. I shave the sprouts on a mandolin, and prepare the chopped bacon, which I set aside... but use the reserved bacon fat (instead of the connola oil to prepare the shallots and CHOPPED GARLIC in...you then fold in the shredded sprouts, and continue at a very low temp, to let the moisture cook off. While that is working, sprinkle in some crushed pepper flakes (to taste, and just before you pull it off the fire, fold the bacon back in. Simple, close (to a degree) to your recipe. Try it!

Your humble servant.... Cuzzin' Rick

Rodger the Real King of France said...

The 2 TBSP of canola only augments the bacon nectar. Normally I have smaller sprouts that when halved are about what a mandolin would do. Yours sounds as good as mine.

Steve In Tulsa said...

I love Brussel Sprouts. I just boil them, drain, butter and serve. Easy. You can dress them up a thousand ways. Cut in half and braise in a pan of hot duck fat.

poletax said...

Way cool calling card.

poletax

Anonymous said...

You forgot the pine nuts.
Angus

Anonymous said...

To paraphrase Homer Simson: "Ummmm.... Duck Fat"!

Cuzzin Rick

Jess said...

The only thing I'll add is a slice of tender pork roast and a light dessert.

Mike C said...

Ok boss, I am just going to have to disagree with you here. I think you are just covering up the dog crap taste of Brussels Sprouts with a blend of yummy bacon and caramelized shallots. Dog crap taste is still dog crap taste. The only use for Brussels sprouts is to feed to pigs to make yummy bacon.

Juice said...

Me 'n Mike C. ugh

toadold said...

It's strange but I don't like just plain Brussel Sprouts but add some butter and suddenly they are great.

Anonymous said...

Me 'n MikeC and Juice.
Lt. Col. Gen. Tailgunner dick

Rodger the Real King of France said...

But then none of you tried this ... ahem.

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