Ingredients
- 4 cups cleaned and halved brussels sprouts
- ⅓ lb. thick-cut bacon
- 1 cup beef broth
- ½ tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- Heavy pinch of kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
Method
Cut your bacon into sections about half an inch long, and fry in a dutch oven over medium heat until the bacon is as crispy as you like. Remove the crispy bacon and set aside to drain.
Add your Brussels sprouts to the remaining rendered fat in the pan, sprinkle in the salt, and toss quickly with a wooden spoon. Let the sprouts sit for a couple minutes, until the leaves start to brown, then toss thoroughly, and let sit again.
After another couple of minutes, deglaze the pan with the broth, and let it cook down. Add the balsamic and pepper to taste. Top with the crisped bacon, and serve.
Oh, you can see a picture of these sitting behind my roast chicken thigh in the Dead-Simple Roast Chicken post.
Why it Works
The bacon and beef broth adds a meatiness that mellows the bitterness of the Brussels sprouts. The browned leaves and the vinegar balance out the fat. In the end, you have a really, really nice dish. It might take a couple times to get the whole thing just right, but you won't mind the first couple cracks.