A Change of Plans...{Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Pappardelle}

For the past couple of weeks, I've been offering up some super simple sides and my plan was to continue on that path for the next several weeks. However, this meal just hustled its way into the schedule as another way to use those fabulous Brussels sprouts. 

A common pairing on all of the most fabulous menus is Brussels sprouts and bacon. And, while some of us may have thought that this pairing had jumped the shark, I think this dish might just change your mind. This was a dinner this week and there were plenty of leftovers for a second night's meal. Although, I had to fight off my sweet daughter and El Syd from packing the leftovers up for the next day's lunches. 

Brussels Sprouts & Bacon Pappardelle

• 1 lb pappardelle pasta (fettucine or spaghetti would be a good sub if you can't find pappardelle in your store)
• 1/2 lb thick sliced bacon, diced
• 1/4 C sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts, root end trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/2 C white wine
• 1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; save 1 C of the pasta water & drain when finished.
2. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the topping (not a true sauce, but loaded with amazing flavor.) In a large skillet, saute bacon and onion over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook until the bacon is browned and starting to crisp up & the onions are browned and caramelized. (about 15 minutes)
3. Add sliced Brussels sprouts and garlic to the bacon and onions. Saute, stirring frequently until the leaves are bright green (about 3 minutes or so.)
4. Stir in white wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and stir well.
5. Add finished and drained pasta to the skillet and begin to toss with the cooked mixture. Add Parmesan cheese and about 1/2 C of the pasta water. Stir until creamy and well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

The natural sweet and nutty flavor of the Brussels sprouts was fabulous with the saltiness of the bacon and the white wine added yet another layer of flavor to this dish. I'm not telling you what to do, but this just might be a nice way to say "I love you." for Valentine's Day. You can't go wrong with an impressive homemade meal!

Happy Cooking!

sld

A few days late {Slow-roasted Pulled Pork}

The Superbowl happened. That means food...snacks...good ol' pub or bar food. For the past several years, I've whipped up chicken wings. We usually do a few flavors to please all palates: Traditional Hot Wings, Garlic-Parmesan, Asian-Inspired and either a Jamaican Jerk or a Sweet-Hot Jalapeno Jelly. However, this year, I really wanted to try something different and decided that in addition to the wings (there was no getting out of doing at least some wings) we'd add some Pulled Pork Nachos.  

Although the cooking process takes some time, Slow-roasted Pulled Pork is a fabulously easy thing to make and have shredded on hand for a variety of applications.  While I do not have any photos of what turned out to be some mighty tasty nachos, take a look at this pork...delectable!

Here's how you can do this too:

Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork

• approximately 3 lbs boneless pork butt roast
• 1 tsp ground mustard powder
• 1 tsp paprika 
• 2 tsp salt
• black pepper to taste 
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

1. In a small bowl, mix up the spices and sugar until fully mixed into a dry rub. Completely coat the roast in the dry rub, pressing the rub to stick and sort of cake up on the surface of the meat. (at this point, you can loosely cover the roast and refrigerate a couple of hours to overnight if you choose. However, I was working in a tighter time frame (read: I forgot to do the prep work ahead of time) and it still turned out absolutely perfectly.)
2. When ready to roast, preheat oven to 250-275F (this is going to cook low and slow.)
3. Place roast (fat side down) on a rack in a roasting pan (no cover) or on a rack on a sheet pan. It is important to have the roast up out of the drippings so that the entire roast will get a fabulous crust that is not to be missed.
4. Place in oven and cook for 4-5 hours or until the roast is fall-apart-fork tender. 
5. Remove from oven; allow to cool a bit and then, while the meat is still warm and super supple, shred with two forks.
6. Once the shredded pork has cooled a bit, simply refrigerate and use in a variety of ways.

The crust that the brown sugar and spices create on this pork is divine. If you're not careful, sneaky hands will pop up from everywhere to steal it off of the cutting board while you're trying to keep it in the pile of shredded goodness!  We topped homemade tortilla chips with jack cheese and mounds of this stuff and good ol' jalapeno slices for the big game treat.

 It would be equally good mixed with a bit of your favorite BBQ sauce and served up on buns or on a corn tortilla topped with some pickled cabbage for a Mexican taco flair. Stir it into your favorite pot of beans to make a hearty side or even main dish. And, I have designs on adding some to a homemade mac & cheese as well. That truly is the beauty of this simple recipe - cook once and use a number of times in a variety of ways.

What ideas do you have on how to use slow-roasted pulled pork?

Happy Cooking!

sld