By The Red Sox are out of the postseason. I need to state this upfront as context for the emotional weather of the Donovan household this week, which has been approximately overcast with periods of Patrick. Patrick took this loss with the specific intensity of a man who follows the Red Sox the way Sean Sr. does: personally, irrationally, and with complete absence of perspective. He called Monday to process it and I listened for fifteen minutes and said, "They'll come back next year," and Patrick said, "That's what we said last year," and I said, "And the year before that," and Patrick said, "I hate you," and I said, "No you don't." That was the entire conversation.
Sean D. takes baseball losses with more grace, which is either a Dorchester thing or just a Sean D. thing. He watched the elimination game with Sean Sr. and Patrick at the three-decker and texted me afterward: "Everybody's fine. Corned beef happened. Patrick is walking it off." I love that man for many reasons but the baseball diplomacy is in the top five.
Work had a hard Monday — a patient took a turn for the worse over the weekend and I walked into something I wasn't quite prepared for emotionally. You never fully prepare. Something always slips past anyway. I went to the hospital chapel for ten minutes after my shift. It helped, which surprised me. It always helps when I go. I always forget that until I'm there.
Wednesday night I made corned beef and cabbage out of solidarity with the Sox loss and because October demands it. Mine isn't yet as good as Maureen's — hers braises six hours and the brisket falls apart in a way mine never quite achieves — but I'm getting closer. Low and slow, started at noon, left it alone until dinner. Beer was Sam Adams because playoff grief requires regional loyalty.
The corned beef takes care of itself once it’s in the pot, which is the whole point — you need a few hours where something is handled. While it braised, I made these Buffalo Brussels Sprouts because I had a bag in the crisper drawer and because after a week like this one, something crispy and a little aggressive felt right. They went alongside the corned beef and neither dish asked anything of me, which was exactly what Wednesday required.
Buffalo Brussels Sprouts
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup buffalo hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Blue cheese crumbles or ranch dressing, for serving (optional)
- Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- Prep the sprouts. Trim the stem ends off the Brussels sprouts and halve them lengthwise. Pat dry with a paper towel — this is the step that makes the difference between crispy and steamed.
- Season and roast. Toss the sprouts with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Spread cut-side down in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20–25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the cut sides are deeply golden and the outer leaves are crisped at the edges.
- Make the buffalo sauce. While the sprouts roast, whisk together the buffalo hot sauce, melted butter, and honey in a large bowl until combined.
- Toss and serve. Transfer the hot roasted sprouts directly into the bowl with the buffalo sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately, topped with blue cheese crumbles and scallions if using. Ranch on the side is not a wrong choice.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 620mg