The Best Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are definitely in fashion these days, which seems crazy. When I was a kid I loathed the almighty brussel sprout but now I can’t seem to live without the cruciferous gems. This last weekend I whipped up some brussel sprouts that made everyone ask for seconds. Here’s how it went down:

Trim the ends off 4 LBS of brussel sprouts. Steam the brussel sprouts for 10 minutes. While the sprouts are steaming, chop up a pound of Old Major Bacon and render it out in a pan on the stove top. Pop back over to your sprouts and remove them from the steamer and place in a large bowl or other vessel that can be placed in the freezer or a fridge. You want to chill the sprouts so they can be handled. Cut the sprouts in half.  Go back to your bacon and separate the bacon from bacon fat but be sure to save the bacon fat. Chop the bacon even finer. Next, in your large mixing bowl, blend the sprouts, bacon fat and 1 cup of grainy mustard. Make sure it is mixed thoroughly. Now spread a layer of sprouts into a frying pan and cook the sprouts until the bottom side is caramelized. Once caramelized, dump the sprouts on a roasting pan. You may have to do a few batches of sprouts in the pan. The key here is the caramelization. Once all the sprouts are caramelized and in the roasting pan, place in a 400 degree oven and roast until the sprouts start to brown and crisp. Remove from the oven, add the chopped bacon, salt to taste and serve.

The sprouts were a hit! And you should give this a try!

Gruner Veltliner, Dry Riesling, Cru Beaujolais, Champagne, Sancerre, are all good options for pairing with your sprouts.

Happy Thanksgiving!