See the recipe notes at the bottom for serving ideas and a vegan option

Yield: A side dish for 5 to 6 adults

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs untrimmed Brussels sprouts
12 oz bacon, diced 1/4 inch
1 cup of yellow onion diced 1/4 inch
4 cloves of garlic sliced very thin
2 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces
6 Tbsp Kosher salt plus a little more for seasoning
Black Pepper to taste

Method:
With a paring knife trim off a thin layer of the stem end. Just enough to remove the brown part. Remove any wilted or yellow leaves.

If your Brussels sprouts are 1 to 2 inches long then cut them in half through the stem. If they are baby sprouts just cut an X into the stem with your paring knife.

In a large pot set one gallon of water to boil with the 6 Tbsp,. Kosher salt.

Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium heat.

Add the bacon to the preheated skillet and turn the flame to low. Cook until most of the fat is rendered and the bacon is brown. Drain off half of the fat.

Add the diced onion to the bacon and cook on low for 10 minutes or until tender and translucent. Give it a taste, it should be well seasoned.

Add the sprouts to the boiling water and cook for about 6 minutes or until tender.
At the same time add the sliced garlic to the bacon/onion mixture and continue to cook on low for 3 minutes, add the butter to the pan and turn the heat off.

Remove the tender Brussels sprouts from the boiling water with a skimmer and add them directly to the bacon/onion mixture. Turn the heat back up, stir everything together and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

RECIPE NOTES
To make this recipe vegan omit the bacon and use olive oil for cooking the onions and garlic and leave out the butter.

This side dish is pretty versatile and can accompany a lot of different meat but I find it goes well with hardier cuts like pork belly, pork shoulder and braised cuts of beef and game. Or make it a more substantial part of a meal and serve it alongside a simple pasta with olive oil and cheese.

Why boil your sprouts? Blanching Brussels sprouts like this gives them a clean flavor with a bright green color.