Beef and Brussels Sprouts Risotto {Recipe}

I've always been a fan of risotto but found that it was quite labor intensive after looking at a few recipes. Then one day I decided to buy the rice and just make it. It was delicious but my husband wasn't a fan of mushrooms (first time I made a mushroom risotto). The next time, I tried to find a flavorful recipe with out mushrooms and stumbled upon this one. The only vegetables that I had in the fridge were Brussels sprouts, so I decided to throw them in. It turned out excellent and I could not wait to share this fall-inspired recipe with you.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1lb of beef (steak of your choice)

2 cups Brussels sprouts

1/2 white onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup arborio rice

3/4 cup white wine

~ 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmaggiano Reggiano cheese

Method:

In a large skillet add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat to medium.  Meanwhile trim Brussels sprouts. Cut small sprouts in half, and bigger ones slice in thirds so they are at most 3/4 cm thick. 

Add to skillet with a big pinch of salt and give it a shake. Allow the Brussels to caramelize on one side before flipping, check every 3 minutes. Once nicely browned, flip and do the same to the other side. Remove to a plate. 

Wash and pat dry the beef, then cut into small pieces. Raise the heat to medium and add more oil and butter to the pan. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute them for about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high and add beef chunks. Sear the beef until lightly browned and turn the heat down to medium.

Wash the rice and add it to the beef, season with salt and pepper. Fry rice with beef for about 10 minutes stirring constantly, then add wine. Do NOT stop stirring. This recipe has only one thing that's hard - you have to keep stirring. Keep adding the stock one cup at a time and do not stop stirring until all the stock is gone and rice is cooked. 

Depending on how you like your rice, it will take about 35 minutes of stirring. The rice should be cooked by then but f it's not, just add another half of cup of water and stir for a little longer. 

Mix in the Brussels sprouts and the cheese, stir. Let the risotto stand for about 30 minutes before you serve it.