I never understood the hate for Brussels Sprouts until I heard that people eat them steamed. I pretty much thinking steaming vegetables is the absolute worst way to cook them, so you’ll never see me upload a recipe for steamed veggies. For these Brussels Sprouts with bacon and shallot I use a good old fashioned pan.
If you have never cooked with bacon fat before, I suggest you start as it is a wonderful way to saute. It is similar to cooking with duck fat, but of course with a more pork flavor. In fact, I use three fats in this recipe: bacon fat, olive oil, and butter. I never said we are trying to make vegetables healthy, just taste great!
I used a thick cut of bacon, as you can see in the picture, since I didn’t want it cooking to fast or burning. The goal of making brussels sprouts with bacon is to render as much of the fat as possible so when you add the brussels sprouts to the pan, there is a layer of searing hot fat coating the bottom. This allows to cut brussels sprouts to get a nice caramelization on their split side.
Ingredients
- 300 grams Brussels Sprouts; split in half from the base.
- 8 strips Bacon; thick cut, streaky. The higher fat content the better. You can leave it in strips and crumble it after it is cooked, or chop it before you add it to the pan. I chopped it up first as it renders and cooks faster.
- 1 large Shallot; split and sliced. You can also use 3 small shallots if you can’t find the large ones.
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Black Pepper; freshly cracked.
- Salt; to taste.
Instructions
In a bowl add the brussels sprouts that have been cut in half. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Set by.
In a large pan on medium high heat add the strips/pieces of bacon. Don’t crowd the pan, if you need to do it in two sets that’s fine. When it looks like the fat has rendered take the bacon out and place on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
When all the bacon is done add the brussels sprouts from the bowl one by one cut side down. These will take about 2-3 minutes to caramelize on their cut side. Don’t crowd the pan or they will steam. At least don’t have them touching. Add the sliced shallot anywhere on the pan.
Once the brussels sprouts have cooked on the cut side, add the butter and the bacon pieces back in. Turn the heat up high and toss the pan every minute or so for about 5 minutes. If the shallot begins to burn lower the heat, otherwise you’ll know it is done by taking out a sprout and tasting it.
Notes
As with most things, you can season however you wish. Brussels sprouts with bacon and shallot makes a pretty earthy dish, so you can brighten it up with some citrus if you wish, or use a spice like sumac which pairs earthy and citrus notes in one.
Sauteed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon And Shallot
Ingredients
- 300 grams Brussels Sprouts cut in half from the base
- 8 strips bacon streaky, thick cut. Chopped up or crumbled after cooking
- 1 large Shallot sliced. or 3 small shallots
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Black Pepper freshly cracked
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl add the brussels sprouts that have been cut in half. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Set by.
- In a large pan on medium high heat add the strips/pieces of bacon. Don’t crowd the pan, if you need to do it in two sets that’s fine. When it looks like the fat has rendered take the bacon out and place on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- When all the bacon is done add the brussels sprouts from the bowl one by one cut side down. These will take about 2-3 minutes to caramelize on their cut side. Don’t crowd the pan or they will steam. At least don’t have them touching. Add the sliced shallot anywhere on the pan.
- Once the brussels sprouts have cooked on the cut side, add the butter and the bacon pieces back in. Turn the heat up high and toss the pan every minute or so for about 5 minutes. If the shallot begins to burn lower the heat, otherwise you’ll know it is done by taking out a sprout and tasting it.
