Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), then wash the brussels sprouts and dry them thoroughly. Chop off the bottoms just enough to peel off individual leaves, then take off any leaves that look like they would easily pull off.

Chop the remaining sprouts in halves, thirds, or fourths, so that each piece is a similar size (see photo), then put them with all the leaves into a mixing bowl.

Wash and mince your cloves of garlic, then add them to the mixing bowl of brussels sprouts along with the lard or oil, gochujang, sweetener, vinegar, and salt. Before adding everything to the brussels, if your sprouts are still cold from the fridge or freezer, put all the ingredients in a bowl separate from the brussels and mix them together before proceeding to the next step (cold veggies can unevenly harden some of the ingredients).

Toss together all the ingredients (except the sesame seeds, of using) until evenly coated, then pour them onto the baking tray in a single layer and put them in the oven. Do NOT clean the mixing bowl, yet.

Bake for 7 minutes on convection mode, then move them around and turn the tray to ensure even baking. Cook for 4-6 more minutes, until crispy and browned in spots, but not burnt. If some of your little leaves start to look in danger of burning, you can quickly remove those with tongs and return the tray to the oven for the rest of the time.

Once you've removed the tray from the oven, immediately transfer the sprouts back into your mixing bowl and toss with sesame seeds. Try one bite and add extra salt as needed, then serve and enjoy!