My wife LOVES Brussels Sprouts. All she does is boil/steam them and then throw in a bunch of butter and stir. I really want to like them but I think they're terrible. I plow through them as quickly as I can so I can get to the good stuff.

Anyway, I'd like to figure out a way to make them taste better or at least mask the nastiness. So how do y'all prepare them to make them taste good?

I usually just steam for 3 minutes and then saut for 3 minutes or so in bacon fat.

Turn them into compost and let them grow into something else?

I usually throw a bag in the air fryer. They get a bit charred and then I'll toss in some salt. It's pretty good. Better than steamed in the bag.

Cut them in half (and trim them… take some stem off but not all of it). Get a cast iron ripping hot with some olive oil in it. Toss the sprouts a bit around in the oil salt liberally. Leave them in place uninterrupted on heat for 6-7 minutes, mix them around again, a bit more salt and leave uninterrupted for another 6-7 minutes. Test to see if they've cooked to the texture you like. If so, finish them. I like to finish with some butter, minced garlic, balsamic vinegar (ideal for sprouts) and some parm reggiano.

I don't blanch brussel sprouts but that's because I think the bitter flavor is a feature, not a bug with them.

this is how its done

When I was doing keto I cut them in half and threw them in a pan with butter, bacon bits, seasoning, and some grated parmesan cheese. I loved them that way and I hate most vegetables.

Don't know how they make them but Bryan's on 290 in Johnson City serves ones I really like. They're whole but almost like they're crisp with candied bacon.

Menu item is: "Crispy Brussels Sprouts - Smoked Pork Belly & Soy Chile Glaze"

Cut in half, bake or pan fry with olive oil and S&P. Add a little bit of honey and red pepper flakes at the very end.

They're pretty good eating just raw.......so is okra and green beans ......and red beef. A chunk of ribeye, sirloin or t bone sprinkled with a little garlic salt and black pepper.....muy sabroso

Cut in half and roast in the oven at 425. Stop by HEB and pick up some bacon jam. Heat about half a cup in the microwave for 30 seconds. Toss roasted Brussels in the jam and serve. Doing it tonight. Big favorite in our house.

Rattler12 said:

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They're pretty good eating just raw.......so is okra and green beans ......and red beef. A chunk of ribeye, sirloin or t bone sprinkled with a little garlic salt and black pepper.....muy sabroso

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Raw????? Oh **** no.

Thanks all! Got some things to try. Seems bacon is a pretty common suggestion.

Here are 13 recipes from Serious Eats. I've done most of these and they are all great. I grew up hating sprouts until I realized my mom didn't know how to cook them.

https://www.seriouseats.com/thanksgiving-brussels-sprouts

Roasted or fried is the way to go. Boiled or steamed makes them mushy and doesn't do much for making them palatable in my opinion. Getting them all nice and brown does wonders.

Preheat oven to 400. Fry up up some bacon in oven safe pan or cast iron. I do about 4-5 thick cut strips cut into matchsticks. Once fried up, remove bacon with slotted spoon, set aside and leave drippings. Try not to eat.

Trim woody ends and then Halve the whole Brussels. Place cut side down and allow to fry until the edges are brown. Let them be. You can check one, but don't got moving then around.

Without flipping, place in oven for another 5-10 minutes. Once done to your liking, pull out(TWSS), toss with enough sriracha to coat and a nice squirt of fresh lime juice. Toss back in the bacon you didn't eat and serve.

Honestly you can roast the ever living **** out of them, and as long as you don't turn them into charcoal, they'll be tasty.

Another great recipe for using brussels as a main dish rather than a side are this one: https://iowagirleats.com/sausage-brussels-sprouts-parmesan-pasta/

Basically sweet Italian sausage, brussels, spaghetti, and lots of parm and black pepper. Even my 5 yr old eats the **** out of it

Know Your Enemy said:

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Rattler12 said:

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They're pretty good eating just raw.......so is okra and green beans ......and red beef. A chunk of ribeye, sirloin or t bone sprinkled with a little garlic salt and black pepper.....muy sabroso

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Raw????? Oh **** no.

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They're fine dressed in something. Lots of salads use them shaved into a coleslaw-like size.

Chop in half and char them hot with chopped bacon and onion.

I hit them with a mandolin then sauteed/fried with bacon and onions and that may be my favorite way to eat them.

But roasting is faster and damn good. Love those charred bits.

NColoradoAG said:

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Cut in half and roast at 425 until they get browned and a bit crispy. From there you can toss in some bacon and bacon fat, or if you like balsamic you toss them with that as well. They are also good shaved and quickly sauted with some butter and onions.

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Roasting is what we do. I usually do olive oil and Cajun seasoning, wife does s&p. 425 for about 17 minutes.

We never ate them growing up my wife ate them boiled or steamed. I had the fish sauce ones at Underbelly about a decade ago and fell in love with them. Never was able to recreate theirs. But we probably have roasted sprouts twice a month. In fact I bet we have them tonight with some fish.

We also have a pan that's a wire roasting pan over a sheet. Let's then cook more evenly around. Use it for most roasted veggies.

Matsui said:

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this is how its done

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i was gonna say the same thing, but HTownag98 picked up a few important details that may or may not have been obvious - coat in oil first, and put cut side down on pan.

Throwing random on a pan doesn't yield as good as a result.

I buy the balsalmic glaze in the bottle. Making your own is a sticky mess.
bacon of course is best, but honestly this method with just salt/pepper/glaze is good.

We do these when we bbq, both from Tiffani Thiessen

https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/tiffani-thiessen/balsamic-glazed-brussels-sprouts-with-pancetta-2351402

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/dessert/a23693912/brioche-bread-pudding-with-bourbon-caramel-sauce-recipe/

Brussels are delicious seared with a multitude of flavor options. We usually cut them in half and brown them in butter and olive oil and season simply with salt pepper and lemon juice and zest.

Boiling/steaming them produces the gross squishy sulfury Brussels I hated from my childhood.

This is the way. Another method I do: We typically have brussels sprounts as a side dish when grilling fish, chicken, etc. Cut in half and trim bottoms. Season with olive oil, S&P. Put them on skewers and slowly grill until there is a nice char. Finish them with a balsamic glaze on the plate.

The 401 in Bellaire roasts or fries them and finishes with a sweet chili glaze. They are some of the best I've had at a restaurant.

To me, no matter how you prepare them, the key is to get them brown and crispy. It completely transforms the flavor.

I've had good experience letting the sheet pan heat up in the oven as it preheats before adding the Brussels. That and some good oil real do a good job of crisping up the bottom of the Brussels.

Fried is the way to go. This recipe is the bomb.. Umami, fish sauce, yum.

https://karalydon.com/recipes/crispy-brussels-sprouts-with-thai-sauce/

Added to your crawfish boil

LOL. If it lives in the water my wife don't eat it. I only get that stuff when we go out.

Tried blanching tonight.
Think it was an improvement when you have the time.

I'm a big fan of caramelized Brussels sprouts

This is how I make them. Its a recipe I got about a decade ago from New York Magazine

Brussels Sprouts
Provided by: Chef Zak Pelaccio

• Type of Dish: Sides
• Servings: 8
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/4-inch lardons
• 36 Brussels sprouts, trimmed, with outer 2 leaves removed, and halved
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 12 chestnuts roasted and peeled, broken into chunks (I use walnuts or leave them out entirely)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup New York grade-B maple syrup
• 1/2 lemon

Instructions
In a large saut pan or cast-iron skillet, render the lardons over medium heat until they are a rich brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the lardons to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Toss the sprouts in the pan, season with sea salt, and cook in the bacon fat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the chestnuts, and continue cooking for 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the garlic and thyme, and cook for another 3 minutes. Pour in the cream, and reduce by half. Season to taste. Add the bacon, pour in the maple syrup, and give a squeeze of lemon juice. Cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes, and serve. (Published 2010)