A Simple Sweet and Sour

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

One of my favorite dishes to make and eat is sweet and sour pork. I love that interplay of, well, sweet and sour in a savory context. But many of us, including myself, never think to go beyond that Chinese take-out staple when craving that flavor profile.

In comes one of my best standby meals to make when I can’t think of anything to cook, and I don’t have the time, energy, or money for a big meal. I learned this dish from Lidia Bastianich years ago, and it’s easily the most satisfying meal I make that requires virtually no energy to prepare, but pays off big in flavor. And best of all, it plays off that sweet and sour flavor marriage I love so much.

Sweet or spicy Italian sausages, spiked with fennel and sage, are browned in garlic oil and then warmed in a sauce of green grapes; their juices bursting from within to create a caramelized sweet sauce for the sausages, accented by chile flakes. It’s five ingredients and takes about 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish. At this time of year, it’s immensely warming and satisfying when you’ve cooked your millionth chicken dinner and are looking for a break…and inspiration.

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Sausage and Grapes
Serves 4

1/3 cup vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 sweet or spicy Italian-style sausages
2 cups green grapes
1 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
Salt and ground pepper, to taste

1. Heat oil and garlic in a 12” skillet over medium-low heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is lightly browned all over, about 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove garlic, and place on a paper towel; reserve.
2. Add sausages to skillet and cover with a lid; cook, turning once, until opaque and half-cooked, about 8 to10 minutes. Remove lid, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook sausages, turning as needed, until browned all over and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes more (cut one sausage open to check for doneness; if it’s no longer pink, the sausages are ready).
3. Remove sausages from skillet and place on a plate. Add grapes and chile flakes to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cover with a lid; cook until grapes begin to burst, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove lid, and cook grapes, stirring, until broken down slightly but still holding their shape, about 2 minutes.
4. Return sausages and garlic to skillet, and cook, tossing sausages in grape sauce, until evenly coated and reheated. Remove from the heat, and serve two sausages per person with lots of grapes spooned over top.

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