My obsession with brussels sprouts started many years ago. Not having been force fed Brussels sprouts as a kid, I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to like them. To me, they looked like little cabbages and hey, I like cabbage, especially when it’s boiled in salty water and lathered in butter!
I first met Brussels sprouts at the mecca for southern home cooking here in Birmingham, the Paw Paw Patch, and they served them just like I thought they should. Soft, tender and dripping in butter. Seems kind of intuitive to me. But whenever I’d order a vegetable plate with sprouts, I met with the disapproving glare from whoever I was dining with. “You like those things?” was the typical question from a scrunched up facial expression.
Despite never having had them that I know of, my wife and kids are pre-disposed to not like Brussels sprouts. I didn’t understand it then and I still don’t get it. They’re good and… drum roll please… they’re good for you. I’m not counting the butter, of course.
[Here’s an interesting note. Sara with Ocean Mist Farms sent me a link to the brussels sprouts section on their website. While I knew brussels sprouts are good, I didn’t realize they were cool too! Actually, this site makes all their veggies look cool.]
So when I saw this recipe for Brussels Sprouts and Steak Stir Fry in the March 2013 Bon Appétit, I figured this was my angle. I mean, hey, this meal just looks gorgeous. And besides that, when my kids asked what I was making for dinner, I could say “Steak!” and they got all excited. Definitely sounds better than, “Brussels sprouts.” Successful meals are a lot like good sex, it’s all about the anticipation…
Because I fancy myself a bit of a stir fry connoisseur, I have to give some advice here. Ingredient prep is key for making and serving a fast and hot stir fry. Get everything ready up front. Yes, that includes the rice.
Also, while ingredients like “oyster sauce” may sound gross, this is what gives your favorite restaurant stir fry that savory flavor. You can get it too. While you can substitute balsamic vinegar for rice vinegar, don’t bail out on the oyster sauce. Get it and use it.
Also, anybody can serve stir fry over rice. Be cool and use some lo mein noodles or quinoa!
Here’s the recipe (you can also link to it on the Bon Appétit site here)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 pound brussels sprouts, halved
- 8 ounces flank or skirt steak, thinly sliced against the grain
- Kosher salt
- 4 scallions, whites chopped, greens sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, thinly sliced on a diagonal
- 1 Fresno chile or jalapeño, sliced into rings
- Steamed rice (for serving)
Preparation
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Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl; set sauce aside.
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Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add brussels sprouts and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Cover and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; wipe out skillet.
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Season steak with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add steak in a single layer; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until nearly cooked through, about 30 seconds. Add to brussels sprouts.
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Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute, adjusting heat as needed. Add carrots and chile and cook, tossing occasionally, until carrots are slightly softened, about 2 minutes.
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Return brussels sprouts and steak to skillet and add reserved sauce. Cook, tossing occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with scallion greens.
For us, this was a one plate meal. Cooking the Brussels sprouts until tender and browned gave them a great texture and it was vindicating to watch my kids try them one at a time and make comments like, “hey, they’re not so bad.” The real evidence of a successful paradigm shift, er, meal, came when my daughter asked a couple days later when I was going to make “that steak dinner again!”
I love it!