Brussels Sprouts ~ the educated cabbage...

Growing up amongst some wonderful Southern cooks, vegetables were a primary item at every meal. Luckily for me, I had a wise Grandfather, who knew how to make vegetables fun. Let’s just say he was before his time, using child psychology to get us to eat our vegetables. I always remember that when brussel sprouts were served, he would say that they were ‘the educated cabbage’.

Over the years, I have turn to brussel sprouts, because I really like them and they are versatile & easy to prepare. Here is my favorite way: cooked until deliciously tender inside and perfectly brown and crusted on the outside. Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for dusting of Parmesan.

Bacon - Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:
24 small brussels sprouts
8 slices hick cut slab bacon
2½ tablespoons reserved bacon grease for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook bacon until crispy brown in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove and keep warm. Reserve 2½ tablespoon bacon grease and discard the rest.

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any loose outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently toss in 1½ tablespoons reversed bacon grease. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are better if served immediately.

Serves 4