The Bear is consistently the most true to life representation of the service industry on TV. They nail the fast paced nature of it so well, even if things are slightly dramatized. To me, it’s obvious that the team behind the show knew what they were doing. To support this, the food they show off is not only amazing looking, it’s also pretty well thought out and involves a lot of onscreen talent knowing how to cook. How does it taste though? Here's how to make the sausage and peppers from the show. We hear them talk about this recipe a lot in the first season, but we don't see it outright. Because of that, I had to take some guesses on the recipe!
Sausage and peppers
2 Italian sausage links (hot or sweet)
1 bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
Lemon juice
Salt and cooking oil
Sausage and peppers is about as classic of an Italian-American meal as you can get. The peppers are going to be sauteed with some sliced onion for a bit of sweetness. Slice the bell pepper and onion into large pieces. If they're too thin, they will overcook and turn mushy. Yellow onion is great for this.
They never specify in the show if it’s hot or sweet sausage, so pick whichever you prefer. With sausages links, it’s important to cook the internals before getting any real color on them. If you were to just sauté them, they would be burnt and raw at the same time. Bring some water to a simmer in a sauté pan and place in the sausages. Cook them covered for around 20-25 minutes. You can temp these by using a thermometer, but 25 minutes in simmering water is usually safe for standard sausages. Drain your water and get that same sauté pan heating over medium. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add in your cooked sausages. Because the insides are now cooked, you just need to get them browned. Keep them rotating and move them around to ensure an even browning. Chances are pretty high that the skins will rip at some point, it’s probably a good idea to poke them with a knife or toothpick so they don’t explode. Once browned to your liking, you can remove these from the pan, but don't wash the pan yet. All the browned bits will help flavor the pepper and onions.
Leave the oil in there and toss in the veg. Hit this with a large pinch of salt and let these get nice and browned, softened, and luscious. The final seasoning needed is a huge squeeze of lemon juice. This is the sweet acidity that the dish really needs, It’s a little one note without it. Now this is tasty, don't get me wrong, but I think it shines best in a sandwich rather than on a plate. If you've got a roll laying around, toast it and throw in the sausage and peppers. That's really the way to do it!
Cheers!
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