Sometimes when I’m meal planning, I’ll zero in on a recipe or preparation, and obsessively plan an entire meal around it. That was the case with these Brussels sprouts – which we love around here (Coco eats them raw), but normally I just roast them in the oven over high heat.
I’ve been looking for an excuse to make these ever since I came across them in the Gjelina Cookbook. If you’ve never been to Gjelina (or Gjusta, or Gjelina Take-Away, which has the most fabulous chia pudding ever) in Venice, CA, it’s definitely worth a visit. Second best is cooking out of the cookbook.
The Brussels are seared in bacon fat in a super hot cast iron pan until they’re nutty and they have that brittle crunch you get on the outer leaves of Brussels sprouts. I love the addition of dates to the pan sauce – it’s a good foil to the toasty sprouts and bite of vinegar that’s added at the end of cooking.
Larry was in heaven because this was essentially his dream meal – pork chops, sautéed apples, cheesy polenta and the Brussels sprouts. I cooked the pork chops sous vide because it’s the only way I ever seem to cook steaks and chops these days, and I used a local tart apple, the mutsu crispin, for the sauté.
- Pork Chops with Thyme-Scented Apples over Cheddar Polenta (EatingWell)
- Charred Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Dates (Gjelina)
- Little Gem Lettuce with Green Goddess Dressing (Bon Appetit)
