# You know, Brussels sprouts really aren't that bad **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644 "2013-01-28T20:17:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/21 "2013-01-28T21:29:11Z")
My favorite, a [pan-cooked version with carrots](http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrots-and-Brussels-Sprouts-241514). ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/22 "2013-01-28T21:29:34Z")
I buy the big stalks with the sprouts still on at the farmers market and pick 'em off. Steam till just tender, poke with a fork, and marinate in Italian dressing. Divine eats, sweet, chewy little morsels of goodness. The grocery store sells them not shredded, but sliced paper thin for cooking, haven’t tried those yet. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/23 "2013-01-28T21:35:33Z")
I love that Alton Brown recipe with the bleu cheese, bacon and apple. I think he also has a recipe for grilled Brussels sprouts (as in skewered and cooked over charcoal) that’s really good. My quick and dirty method is to halve them, put them in a pan with olive oil and some minced garlic, saute until the cut sides get a little caramelized, then add maybe a quarter cup of water and cover and steam until tender. Add parmesan and chopped walnuts or pecans. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/24 "2013-01-28T21:36:09Z")
They’re not horrible, but I wouldn’t say they’re good either. I don’t think either of my parents like them, so I was never subjected to them growing up. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/25 "2013-01-28T21:52:07Z")
Used to hate them myself. Then my sister-in-law introduced me to a recipe where you take fresh (not frozen or canned) Brussels sprouts, cut them in half, spice them, and then broil them briefly. Now we have them at least once a week. ---
**Author:** ![Fridgemagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@Fridgemagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fridgemagnet)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/26 "2013-01-28T22:17:16Z")
Boiling in an open pan of salted water for 5-10 mins gives better results than steaming; do make sure the lid is left off so the sulphurous buttfumes can dissipate rather than recirculate. I knew a kitten once that would kill for brussels sprouts - he would extend a cheeky paw and hook one off your plate, then run off to consume it under the sideboard, growling all the while. Here’s a shocker: [Man hospitalised after overdosing on Brussels sprouts](http://metro.co.uk/2012/12/22/man-hospitalised-after-overdosing-on-brussels-sprouts-3327736/). It doesn’t get more festive than that. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/27 "2013-01-28T22:19:27Z")
It took me until adulthood to realize they’re good. The taste is no better or worse than other similar leafy vegetables. So if you hate all veggies, it’s understandable, otherwise I feel like it’s a smear campaign. They go really well with bacon. For me, I quarter them and remove the stem/center part. Fry up bacon, then sprouts, water, spices. Once mostly cooked, finish them up with a little balsamic. I have been meaning to prepare them in a similar but not identical way as **Bayard** ’s link. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/28 "2013-01-28T22:23:44Z")
I used to dislike them, or at least not actively seek them out. Once I discovered roasted (or grilled or even pan fried) sprouts, I haven’t looked back. Disagree about them needing to be heavily spiced. Just salt, pepper, oil, and roast them, and they are perhaps my favorite vegetable. ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/29 "2013-01-28T22:32:50Z")
> [@Fridgemagnet](#): > > Boiling in an open pan of salted water for 5-10 mins gives better results than steaming; do make sure the lid is left off so the **sulphurous buttfumes** can dissipate rather than recirculate. (emphasis added) I’m still chuckling at that! My dad’s a great cook, so technique can’t be blamed in my case. I could eat them, but I didn’t really enjoy it. Even lightly cooked they’re bitter, stinky little bastards. I would be willing to try them roasted with bacon bits, though. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/30 "2013-01-28T22:56:06Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Why don’t people like them boiled/steamed? They’re just mini cabbages, right? They don’t taste like cabbage to me. Then again, when I eat cabbage these days it’s usually raw red cabbage shredded into salads. Never tried raw brussels sprouts, though chopped up they’d probably be fine. It’s often claimed that brussels sprouts taste better when they’re picked after frost. I never noticed any difference after as opposed to before frost. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/31 "2013-01-28T23:08:09Z")
I’m going to buck the trend here and admit to a very guilty pleasure of fresh Brussels sprouts boiled to a mushy oblivion. To me it seems to remove any bitterness from them (along, I presume, with any vitamins or minerals) creating sweet little gooey balls of deliciousness. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/32 "2013-01-28T23:10:07Z")
They _are_ mini cabbages (and _also_ are little kale, leafy broccoli and cauliflower, etc.) in the same way that a chihuahua is a mini wolf. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/33 "2013-01-28T23:21:19Z")
steam them. good with butter with garlic or yeast. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/34 "2013-01-28T23:29:07Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Why don’t people like them boiled/steamed? They’re just mini cabbages, right? I’ve loved boiled cabbage my whole life, going all the way back to the corned beef and cabbage dinners my dad made us on St. Patty’s Day. It’s bitter, sure. But not SO bitter as to be unpalatable. Steamed sprouts are a really good foil for anything intensely salty (corned beef, bacon, etc). Going by what some people have told me, a lot of why people don’t like green vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts) is because they grew up eating horribly overcooked, stinky, brownish-gray servings of such. And from what I’ve experienced with my grandmother’s cooking ( “cook it until its good and done”) I can fucking see why. Fortunately my mother never cooked stuff to death so I never developed a lingering distaste for vegetables. My father, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/35 "2013-01-28T23:29:34Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > EVIL!! +1 bazillion. The vilest, most evil, most grotesque, icky, yucky, fit only for Satan’s school cafeteria substance ever! ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/36 "2013-01-28T23:32:25Z")
They are easily one of my favorite vegetables. I’ve never had them any other way than boiled or steamed. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/37 "2013-01-28T23:34:43Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > They don’t taste like cabbage to me. They _are_ cabbage. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts are all _Brassica oleracea._. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/38 "2013-01-29T00:04:14Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > They don’t taste like cabbage to me. I agree. I love cababge. I love Brussels sprouts. While they both taste like cruciferous/brassica vegetables, with that sulfur bite to them, they taste quite distinct to me. I wouldn’t confuse the two anymore than I’d confuse the flavor of cauliflower and collard greens (also Brassica oleracea.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/39 "2013-01-29T00:12:30Z")
Steam 'em _al dente._ Butter, salt and pepper, that’s all you need. ---
**Author:** ![Chipacabra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Chipacabra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chipacabra)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644/40 "2013-01-29T00:21:05Z")
If I’m feeling lazy, I like to take a package of the frozen sprouts, put them in a small covered pan with like 1/8" of salted water at the bottom, and sort of braise/steam them until they’re just barely tender, then roll them with some butter, pepper, and sriracha. If I’m feeling motivated enough to actually buy some fresh sprouts instead of raiding the freezer, I trim the ends, cut them in half, and steam them. Sriracha is probably still involved. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-know-brussels-sprouts-really-arent-that-bad/648644.md?page=3)