Looking for a side dish to really put your next grilled steak over the top?  Well we've got you covered with this recipe for Grilled Little Gem Lettuce with Brown Butter Brioche, Crispy Pork and Shallot Crumble, and Samuel Adams Buttermilk Dressing from Chef Vinson Petrillo.

Ingredients

12 hearts of Little Gem lettuce

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup buttermilk

1 bottle of Samuel Adams Boston Lager®

2 black peppercorns

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 shallot peeled, diced finely

1 pinch coarse black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

3 tablespoon of olive oil

½ cup chopped chives

8 peeled shallots, sliced thinly

¼ cup ground pork fat

1 loaf of brioche, put in freezer for 2 hours then cut into 1/2 inch squares

½ cup unsalted butter

Instructions

For the Samuel Adams Buttermilk Dressing

Add one bottle of Samuel Adams Boston Lager, diced shallot, peppercorns and thyme to a saucepan over heat to reduce until there are two tablespoons remaining. Strain this reduction through a fine mesh sieve and add to a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise, buttermilk, a pinch of pepper and salt to taste to the bowl. Reserve the dressing for later use. 

For the Crispy Pork and Shallot Crumble

Before cooking, line a sheet pan with paper towels, which the crumble will be drained on. Place the sliced shallots and ground pork fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Constantly stir with a small whisk for about ten minutes, until the shallots and pork turn slightly golden brown. Be careful not to burn the pork fat or shallots. Once the pork and shallots are evenly golden brown, strain the mixture onto the sheet pan with paper towels. Change the paper towels every five minutes until the extra fat dissipates and you are left with the crispy pork and shallot mixture. Place to the side and reserve.

For the Brown Butter Brioche

Place butter in a high-sided sauté pan, then slowly and constantly stir over medium heat until the butter solids start to cook without taking on any color. Add 1 ½ cups of the diced frozen bread and continue to stir slowly. The butter solids should begin to turn brown, bubbly and give off a pleasant aroma. Continue to stir until the bread has a light golden color to it, and the butter solids have browned and coated the croutons without burning. Take out the croutons and place them over paper towels, then discard the remaining butter.

For the Grilled Little Gem Lettuce

Cut the Little Gems in half and with a pastry brush, carefully and evenly brush them with olive oil. Grill the lettuce for one minute on each side (note: It’s ok for some of the leaves to char). 

To Finish

Distribute two whole Baby Gems (now 4 pieces) per plate. Carefully spoon over the buttermilk dressing to your liking and finish with the brown butter croutons and the pork and shallot crumble. Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Sam Adams and Chef Venson Petrillo