Tonight's meal was not photo worthy, but it was quite tasty. We had roast beef prepared from a chuck eye roast several weeks ago. It had been frozen. We thawed it and reheated it on the Traeger.
Along with the roast beef, we had roasted corn on the cob. I had done that before and it has always turned out well.
The new adventure was Brussels sprouts. Whether home cooked or at a restaurant, I have never been a fan of Brussels sprouts. They are not something I would normally cook at home or order. However, I wanted to see if I could improve on past experiences. I was successful.
First, I cut the ends off each sprout and split them in two. I soaked them in salt water overnight to tenderize them and remove the bitterness. This morning, poured off the salt water and rinsed them in fresh water to remove excess salt. When it was close to cooking time, I seasoned the sprouts with a steak rub and added balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, coating well.
I heated the Traeger to 400 F at grate level. My controller temperature was set at 450 F, but it is the grate temperature that is important. I placed a large carbon steel skillet on the grate. I cut up two strips of bacon into small pieces and added them to the skillet. As soon as the fat began to render, I added some chopped onion, sautéing them until caramelized. At that point, I added the Brussels sprouts and balsamic glaze. I cooked the sprouts until they were tender and the vinegar was reduced by half. The Brussels sprouts were better than any I have ever eaten previously. They were good enough that I plan to serving them again.
I know that protein is the star of Traeger cooking, but veggies can be delicious as well.
