My Famous Bowl of Win! Dish #1 in the Breakfast Series

You have heard the legend, but you have not experienced the magnificence that is the Bowl of Win. It's amazingly simple, almost ludicrously so, but oh! The flavor... mmm, flavor... <drools a la Homer Simpson>

I've got a variation on this recipe called the Plate of Win- very similar, but different in the most delicious ways. Keep an eye out for that one later on =)

And now, without further ado, the Bowl of Win...


Megan's Famous Bowl of WIN

1lb Brussels sprouts

~½ lb thick-cut bacon (4 slices)

~1 c sauerkraut

Salt & pepper to taste

1 - Rinse the sprouts, tear off the outer leaves, cut off the tough ends, and quarter (halve if the sprouts are small). Set aside.

2 - Chop the bacon into small pieces. This is easier to do if the bacon is partially frozen, especially if it’s really fatty bacon (and it should be! Hahaha)

3 - Saute the bacon over medium heat, preferably in a cast iron pan, but any large, deep skillet will do.  Stir frequently (don’t let it burn!).

4 - Add the Brussels sprouts just as the bacon starts to crisp on the edges, usually about 6-8 minutes. Mix well to get the sprouts coated in the rendered bacon fat. If you want, sprinkle with salt and pepper, though it’s not necessary; I’m just a salt-and-pepper fiend =)

5 - Cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want the sprouts to get a nice brown on them, get them all the way to the bottom of the pan (not sitting on top of the bacon), turn the heat up a bit, and don’t stir as often. This will get the bacon crispier too, but –again- make sure not to burn it!

6 - Right about the time it looks like it needs to come off the stove, make a well in the center and put the sauerkraut in the well. Get just a bit of the juice in with it; this will deglaze the pan and get all those awesome little bacon bits off the pan and into the kraut (this works especially well if you’re not using a non-stick pan).

7 - Turn down the fire, let it sit for about 2-3 minutes, give it a good stir to mix it all together, and turn the fire off. Let it rest for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

8 - Pile into a bowl and dig in! =)

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish, or 1 if you don’t want to share =P

Tips:

-  I HIGHLY recommend using real sauerkraut. Real kraut is NOT made with vinegar, is packaged in a glass jar, and is kept in a refrigerated section at the store. Trust me, you don’t want that vinegar to hit the pan when you put in the kraut. It burns the eyes and nose and throws off the flavor of the whole dish. Bleh. I use Bubbie’s Sauerkraut, which I buy at Whole Foods, but I think you can find it at Trader Joe’s and occasionally at upscale grocery stores like Pavillions or Gelson’s.

- Thick-cut bacon is important, as the thin stuff will cook too quickly and won’t render enough fat to coat- and therefore flavor- the sprouts and kraut. Center-cut thick bacon works well, but may not have enough fat to render (the fat is usually at the ends of bacon, and- as the name indicates- center-cut bacon is cut from, well, the center). If there isn’t enough fat in the pan even after the bacon gets crispy, add some extra bacon fat if you’ve got it, coconut oil (though go easy; it’ll change the flavor of the dish), or butter/ghee as a last resort. DON’T use olive oil! It does NOT mesh well with the flavor of the kraut (learned this the hard way; I practically cried over my “ruined” dish).

-  As I said earlier, a non-stick pan won’t get you the awesome bits of bacony goodness that cast iron or stainless steel will. If you have a large cast iron or stainless steel skillet, or even an enamel Dutch oven (like Le Creuset) you’ll get better flavor and crisper results.

-  I always use organic produce when available, but in this case it’s not necessary to have organic sprouts since it’s not on the “Dirty Dozen” list (http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-214). I just use organic on basic principle. Good to know, though, that organic Brussels sprouts are only $1.99/lb at Whole Foods, and probably even cheaper at Sprouts or Trader Joe’s. So no excuses for not going organic on this one! =)