Ham Hock Brussel Sprouts, Rosemary, Toasted Sesame

Before brussel spouts became a trendy menu item in restaurants last year, I wasn't sure how I felt about them.  They seemed a bit one dimensional in flavor, and I didn't consider them an ideal flavor receptor beyond the obvious bacon and pork partner. 

But then the brussel sprout menu trend exposed me to the complex flavors brussel sprouts reveal when they are briefly pan seared and develop a slightly caramelized exterior.  The pan sear adds a depth of flavor that takes them to another level, in my opinion.   

The trick with adding this cooking method to the preparation of sprouts is avoiding the loss of their green color and nutrients (ick..i just pictured this random know-it-all out there smirking at this nutrient comment.  Stop smirking, know-it-all.  And don't send me any more colored graphs about how healthy brussel sprouts are.  Charts + food =  nerdy).   Recently, I decided to cook the spouts in boiling salted water until about 3/4 of the way cooked.  After draining them, they went into a pan with hot oil to develop the sear I love so much.

I'd be willing to wager that 75% of the brussel sprouts that appear on menus involve some type of pork item.    Bacon and pancetta are the obvious choices (and completely delicious, of course).    There's also the added benefit of rendering the bacon and pancetta until crisp, then searing the sprouts in the pork fat. 

But on this given day, I was serving a ham hock soup that you've most likely read about.    OK, ok.   I will not try and deceive you about my hidden intentions of this post.   I really want you to make smoked ham hock stock.    And as an added benefit, I want you to realize that you'll be able to use the tender,  fall-off-the-bone meat from the ham hock stock as an ingredient for another dish.   

I simply chopped the ham hock meat and added it to the pan after searing the sprouts in oil.   To bring out the earthiness of the sprouts, I finished them with a drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil, which I thought turned out to be an excellent flavor combo.   Chopped rosemary and squeeze of lemon rounded out the flavors.

Now go and make a ham hock stock brussel sprouts before the winter gloom fades.

Comments

[Spencer]

How do you retain flavor when boiling them? Find that the moment they are touch the water, all the flavor runs right out of them.

[Jessica]

I'm particularly fond of brussels sprouts because they look like miniature cabbages. Yours looks yummy!

[Jessica]

I'm particularly fond of brussels sprouts because they look like miniature cabbages. Yours looks yummy!

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I'm particularly fond of brussels sprouts because they look like miniature cabbages. Yours looks yummy!

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Off topic but I found your blog searching on smoked paprika recipes (just got some) and found a rigatoni recipe you made last year that I'm going to try this weekend! Thank you! :)

And looking forward to following your beautiful blog too. (Top Chef fan here too).

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the meat from the ham hock bone is so underrated - you're right about the 'fall off the bone' meat! My mother use to make a version of ham hocks w. red beans when I was little~still remember the scent+taste. Imagine it to be great w. brussel sprouts....

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I simply chopped the ham hock meat and added it to the pan after searing the sprouts in oil.