It's that time of the week again - Last night's meal was filled with laughter, dessert wine, port and chocolates from the real Belgium.
Head Count: 9
Menu
Black Bean and Jalapeno Dip
'Truth' red wine and 'The Ugly Truth' (Yellowtail Riesling)
Ad Hoc's Fig and Balsamic Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar
Bacon Braised Brussel Sprouts
Salad with Pears, Candied Nuts and Bell Peppers
Rustic Bread with Irish Butter
Veramar D'Ora Virginia Dessert Wine & Foseca Porto Bin No. 27
Belgian Chocolates
I've already included a recipe here for Ad Hoc's pork tenderloin. Having already made the jam and the stuffing - things went really quickly last night. It really is delicious.
A new addition - these sinful bacon braised brussel sprouts. Anyone could be convinced to like brussel sprouts when they taste like bacon.
Bacon Braised Brussel Sprouts
3 slices thick cut bacon
1lb fresh brussel sprouts
Fresh ground pepper
Cut bacon into 1/4" pieces - like little lardons. Fry in large skillet until nice and crispy. While bacon is frying remove outer leaves from brussel sprouts - trim off tough stem end and cut into halves or quarters depending on sprout size.
Once bacon is crisp, remove from pan and set aside.
For those intimidated by large amounts of bacon grease, pour off a little bit before adding sprouts to skillet. Add in a good amount of pepper and sauté sprouts until they begin to soften. Here you can either finish them on top of the stove, cooking until they are tender, or transfer the pan to a 350° oven to roast them until fully cooked.
Place in bowl and add cooked bacon on top - you can also drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar, if that's your style.
