We. Love. Brussel sprouts. We love them like bubba loves shrimp. We’ve tried them baked and broiled, and with cranberries, or balsamic vinegar, or pecans. The possibilities are endless with those little vitamin-packed craniums of goodness.
But our go-to, favorite method is pan-fried in bacon grease, and hence, not the healthiest, but always good.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 slices of bacon
- I lb of Brussel sprouts
- I lemon
- 3 tbs butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbs garlic (optional)
1. Cut your bacon into bite size pieces. I prefer to use my kitchen scissors and cut it right over my cast iron skillet. Who wants to dirty another cutting board, right?
2. While your bacon is starting to brown over medium heat (about 5 minutes) cut the ends off of your Brussel sprouts and slice them in half or again in quarters. Either way is good.
3. When your bacon is just starting to brown, add your brussel sprouts to the pan. Stir them occasionally to keep them from sticking.
I usually add garlic at this step as well. If you add it sooner, it’s usually burnt by the end. If you do it later, it’s still pretty bitter. I just honestly forgot it last night…it’s equally good with or without it. But if you like garlic, throw it in there! You won’t be sorry 🙂
4. Once your brussel sprouts have turned bright green and delicious looking (about 10 minutes) add salt and pepper to taste. You’ll notice the outside layer beginning to soften.
5. Keep pushing them around your skillet for about 5 more minutes until their centers are soft and their outsides have started to brown. My husband actually loves the burnt parts the best, so I’ll let them go an extra minute or so even.
Add in your butter. As it melts, mix it in to coat all of your Brussel sprouts.
7. Turn off the heat. You can squeeze your lemon in here, but I prefer to transfer it to a serving bowl first so that the lemon doesn’t cook off. Squeeze half a lemon or a whole lemon, depending on how tangy you like it.
8. Serve immediately or cover with foil, until you’re ready to dish them out.
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