Brussel Sprouts - how to cook them?

[Functional]

Anyone have any good ways to cook brussel sprouts? My wife loves them and I like them when they are cooked tender but can never replicate it. Most times they come out either too dry or almost bitter tasting.

[roadwarrior]

 

[A-Jay]

I'm not the hugest Brussel Sprout fan there ever was,

but I'll participate occasionally.

I go with the 'steaming' method.

Seems to help retain a little of the crunch if I don't let them go too long. 

Then it's a splash of a quality balsamic vinegar and a dash of Lawry's Season Salt.

Just like Mom used to make.

 

A-Jay

[Dwight Hottle]

My wife seasons them with olive oil & seasoning salt then roasts them at high temps in the oven. 

[Jar11591]

Love me some Brussels sprouts. Favorite way to cook them is to take a bunch of raw bacon and cut into 2 inch squares. Par-fry the bacon until there is plenty of fat in the pan, then add halved Brussels sprouts and cook until the bacon and sprouts are crispy. Add a little garlic powder, onion powder,  black pepper and a tiny bit of thyme. Salt isn't needed with the bacon in there. 

 

 

[FryDog62]

Brussel Sprouts = Satan's Cabbage... no way to make a neurotoxin taste good IMO.  LOL, good luck you might find something to make it palatable ~ ?

[gim]

4 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Brussel Sprouts = Satan's Cabbage... no way to make a neurotoxin taste good IMO.  LOL, good luck you might find something to make it palatable ~ ?

Two things I've found that my dog won't eat.  Brussel sprouts and a raw onion.  Anything else is fair game into the bottomless pit.

[casts_by_fly]

When we lived in the UK, the house we rented was on a farm.  We got along great with the farmer and his sons who were about our age.  One of the benefits (aside from 250 huntable acres!) was that they grew beans, peas, sprouts, and a few other things which I was free to pick enough for my wife and I to enjoy.  Sprouts are really common in the UK, but usually only at Christmas and/or sunday roasts.  And they are usually cooked bad- straight up boiled, drained, and buttered.  Its the most boring thing you can do.

 

A couple things that help sprouts:

- trim them well.  If they are fresh sprouts, get as much of the thick base nipped off before washing and prepping.  Take off the outer couple leaves as well to get to the more firm core.

- parboiling is the trick for a good tender core, especially if you have big sprouts the size of a golf ball or bigger.  just don't overcook them.  parboiling also helps take come of the bitterness out

- a good fat and high temp is your friend.  Bacon fat, lard, pancetta, and similar are great.  A sauce/dressing with a little sweetness helps with bitterness too.  You can either roast or pan fry to get that high temperature on it.  Get the heat on them first until they are browning on the outside and looking like they are about cooked.  Then add your sauce/dressing to finish.  The heat really helps break down some of the bitterness.

- bacon with a drizzle of honey is a good choice.  General Tso's is an incredible flavor for them.  balsamic glaze works well.  

[galyonj]

1 hour ago, Dwight Hottle said:

My wife seasons them with olive oil & seasoning salt then roasts them at high temps in the oven. 

 

[FryDog62]

I hear all the elaborate recipes to cook Brussel Sprouts from my friends and family members trying to convince me to try their latest concoction. Basically render it unrecognizable from its original form - with 15 different herbs, spices, garlic, drown in butter, virgin tears, eye of newt, etc.

 

I think to myself - wouldn’t it be the same outcome if you did this to a bunch of cigar butts?

 

Nope, I ain’t changing my position on this one

[Choporoz]

@FryDog62, I am same.  I keep being told, "Brussel sprouts are different now; they are so much better than they were 30-40 years ago. And now we understand how to cook them"....riiiiight....I tried 'em....a couple times...air fryer-ed and restaurant-cooked.  Nope.  They are still awful

[ironbjorn]

No idea. I only cook good food.

 

When my lady makes brussel sprouts the whole house smells like dog fart.

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

I tried 'em....a couple times...Nope.  They are still awful

 Well, if you try the Martha Stewart recipe I posted, you might change your mind.

[Darth-Baiter]

cut then in half, lightly drizzle with oil and roast them.  

[gim]

1 hour ago, FryDog62 said:

Basically render it unrecognizable from its original form - with 15 different herbs, spices, garlic, drown in butter, virgin tears, eye of newt, etc.

 

I think to myself - wouldn’t it be the same outcome if you did this to a bunch of cigar butts?

I sometimes think the same thing when people post photos of their deep fried fish covered in batter and then dipped in tartar sauce.  The actual taste of the fish is completely gone.

[Choporoz]

9 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

 Well, if you try the Martha Stewart recipe I posted, you might change your mind.

At 0:50, if Martha had said "out", instead of "in", I would be quite willing to try 

[TnRiver46]

Roast em hot. 
 

also @gimruis, your dog is smart not to eat the onion, they are toxic to dogs

[DitchPanda]

I like em drizzled with olive oil and roasted in the oven nice and hot until nicely toasted. Then I toss them in honey and hot sauce.

[deaknh03]

My favorite vegetable. Halve them, salt, pepper and evoo, in a cast iron and on the cool side of the grill. 

[TOXIC]

Depends on how strong you want the taste.  Personally, I like them halved and sprinkled with olive oil and a good SPG combo and then roasted in a veggie basket on the grill.  If you like them a little more mild the boil them before following the same recipe. 

[JackstrawIII]

8 hours ago, Dwight Hottle said:

My wife seasons them with olive oil & seasoning salt then roasts them at high temps in the oven. 

I’m also not a huge brussel sprout buff, but I’ve had them cooked this way twice and both times I couldn’t get enough of them. Delicious. 

[VolFan]

If you want less potential bitterness, half them and steam for 5 min. Then spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and roast at 450 until a little crispy. I like cut side up. If they’re super fresh and smaller than ping pong balls you can skip the steaming.  After roasting, drizzle on or toss in your favorite sauce. I like them plain or with a little chili flake and some Sweet Baby Ray’s Terryaki. 

[SWVABass]

Try something like this 

https://suebeehomemaker.com/balsamic-glazed-brussels-sprouts-and-sweet-potatoes/

[BrianMDTX]

Everyone forgets the “s”. 
 

Brussels sprouts

 

Johns Hopkins 

 

Those poor forgotten last S’s. ?

[LonnieP]

Fried in olive oil then tossed into the trash can ?