Honey Garlic Brussels Sprouts

The cattle pulled in close to the windbreaks. They know what is coming. Cattle work this week. Patrick rode in the truck. He pointed out two heifers I had not noticed. He sees things I do not. The work is shared.

Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.

Pot roast Sunday. Chuck. Five hours low and slow. Onions, carrots, celery. The kitchen smelled like winter.

Tomorrow I move the herd to the upper pasture. That is the next thing.

Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.

A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.

Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.

Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.

Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.

Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.

Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.

Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.

Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.

Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.

The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.

The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.

Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.

Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.

Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.

The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.

Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.

The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.

A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.

The pot roast got the credit that Sunday — five hours low and slow, the whole kitchen smelling like winter — but it’s the sides that fill out a table and make it feel like something. Brussels sprouts, roasted down until they catch some color and soak up honey and garlic, have no business being as good as they are. Patrick would have eaten two helpings. I made them anyway.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, honey, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar until combined.
Coat the sprouts. Place halved Brussels sprouts in a large bowl. Pour the glaze over them and toss well to coat. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
Arrange on the pan. Spread sprouts in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Do not crowd them — use two pans if needed for even roasting.
Roast. Roast for 20–25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the sprouts are tender and the cut sides are deeply caramelized and golden.
Serve. Transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle any pan juices over the top. Serve hot alongside pot roast or whatever else is on the Sunday table.

Nutrition (per serving)

Honey Garlic Brussels Sprouts — The Sunday Table That Holds Everything Together