Brussels Sprouts Braised in Beer, Cider, and Juniper

By crrazyjane • October 30, 2009 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: I went though a mild juniper obsession about two years ago. Honestly - who ever thought of putting juniper in anything besides gin? But I think gin is darned tasty, so I started adding juniper to just about anything I could think of. Sometimes the results were disastrous and sometimes - ahhh, sublime. That was particularly true when it came to Cruciferae. Cabbage, thou under-appreciated vegetable... I decided to see how juniper worked with brussels sprouts when combined with three of my other favorite things - pancetta, cider, and - of course - beer. - crrazyjane

Serves 4

2 tablespoons chopped pancetta
4 juniper berries, crushed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound brussels sprouts, stems trimmed, cut in half
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup ale, such as Sam Adams or Shipyard Export
pinch salt
pinch black pepper
1 tablespoon butter

Saute pancetta over medium-high heat until browned. Add garlic and juniper berries and saute another minute until garlic is beginning to brown as well.
Add brussels sprouts, cider, ale, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer until brussels sprouts are tender and liquid has almost entirely been absorbed, about ten minutes.
Stir in butter until melted and serve hot!