Beans and Brats

Not gonna lie.  It's been pretty meaty at our house lately. 

Maybe it's all that snow shoveling that makes us want something warm and hearty to dig into in the evening. 

Maybe it's all the celebrating that's been going on this month and my body is craving protein to balance all that caramel corn I nibble on at work. 

Or maybe it's because my husband is the kind of guy that will stop by the butcher shop for $5 worth of sausage spices and come home with the spices and a $50 cut of prime rib. 

I know, Ben.  I know. 

Trouble is, sometimes I'm reluctant to blog about the meaty side of my kitchen for one simple reason: it's tough for me to take a decent meat picture. 

It's simple to make cookies look good in a photo because, well, they're cookies.  Cute, bite-size, lovely little sweet treats.  But meat.  The grizzly, masculine, big chunks of wild meat and homemade sausages that tend to get consumed in this house in the winter.  I have to accept it in its no-natural-light-at-7:30-pm glory.  And bratwurst present an even greater challenge, simply due to the odd phallic shape of them.  I mean seriously, do any of these shots work?

Nah.

No way.

Maybe I should've used a different plate, or better lighting, or styled it up a little bit.  But unlike food stylists, I don't like Elmer's glue in my Cheerios, preferring to actually eat my food.  And despite the funny looking photos, this dish was too good not to share.

Beans and Brats
The brats are homemade venison brats; the beans are an adaptation from this recipe, and a mighty good one, I must say.  Anytime my "I don't eat beans" husband takes a third helping of beans, I know it's a winner. 

4 bratwurst
3 oz. thick bacon (about 3 slices), cut crosswise into thin strips
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. chopped rosemary
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Two 15-1/2-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 jarred roasted red peppers, cut into small dice
2 Tbls. lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Cook brats in pan of simmering water or beer until cooked through. 

Meanwhile, in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until it renders most of its fat and starts to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Chop up bacon and set aside.

Add oil to hot pan (optional), then add the rosemary, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook, swirling the contents of the pan, until sizzling steadily and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, chicken broth, roasted peppers, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the broth thickens and the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in bacon and serve.