Brussels Sprouts

[JP]

I’ve a pair of cheap carbon steel ones I picked up from Amazon. One of Maggie’s friends thinks they’re too heavy. Can’t mic it at present as I’m on the other coast, but the item description says 15 gauge.

 

[Sedge72]

I live in Brussels and in my middle age am starting to resemble a sprout in form.
I like them, in moderation out of respect for people in my vicinity, pan fried with ginger and pine nuts.

 

[Gary_G]

 

[JayGilb]

Baked in a dutch oven with a coating of olive oil and salt+pepper. Let them get slightly soft and they are yummy.

 

[Somafunk]

I love Brussel Sprouts, preferably steamed with a bit of crunch left in them and coated with butter and pepper, can quite easily eat an entire bowl of them. I also love kale cooked the same way.
I‘m a vegetarian though so any veg cooked well will keep me happy

 

[DSJR]

Love 'em with a roast dinner served with lashings of gravy... the others in the household don't share my enthusiasm though, but I'll do some for Christmas dinner

 

[DonR]

My wife adores all brussels sprouts. I like the large, fresh ones. Really tasty. My intestines can only handle a few at a time, though.

 

[Killingbeans]

I've been told that the terrible taste, that most older people associate with Brussels sprouts, came from a switch to varieties well suited for mechanical harvesting.

There's a good chance that some of the modern varieties won't be as offensive.

 

[JeffGB]

Calibrating - what thickness range would you consider preferred?

About 3mm thick for carbon steel . Thinner will warp and thicker will not quickly change temperature when you want it to.

 

[Deleted member 21219]

I love'em. Steamed, then sprinkled with shredded cheese ... yum-yum! I like them almost as much as broccoli, which I make the same way.

They're one of the few vegetables that are good cold the next day.

Jim

 

[Somafunk]

Copied from a science journal

Our tongue is covered with taste receptors that allow us to identify different tastes, and these receptors come from genes in our DNA. One type of these taste receptors tastes for a bitter chemical called PTC (phenylthiocarbamide). This receptor is coded by a gene named TAS2R38, or the PTC gene. Even though PTC is not normally found in our food, it is very similar to chemicals found in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, kale and Brussel sprouts. The PTC gene comes in 2 common forms – bitter-tasting or non-tasting. As we all have 2 copies of each gene, if you have both copies to be the non-tasting gene, your PTC receptor would not work and you would not taste the bitterness of Brussel sprouts. Some people might have one of each form of the PTC gene, allowing them to have a partially working receptor and only taste part of the bitterness. On the other hand, some people will have both copies of the bitter-tasting PTC gene. They are known as ‘supertasters’ and would find Brussel sprouts extremely bitter, meaning that they are likely to be disgusted by them!

 

[TonyJZX]

i have a strange story about this

in most common English Western cuisine supermarkets this is treated as an exotic food.. (yeah I dont know why... but its like $12-$15 per kilo - (say two pounds for you Americans)

a Big Mac here is $7.50 - maybe $5 on coupon... gasoline here is about $1.75 per liter (say $6.50 per gallon)

but if you go to the ethnic big fruit vegetable markets it can be as low as $1 a kilo

and so for $15 a kilo = NO

but for $1 a kilo = hell yes

its an acquired taste but boiled then grilled, charred with garlic or whatever... i mean... yeah

with a steak and fries... hell yes... my wife calls it a man's vegetable... women can be turned off by the taste

 

[JP]

About 3mm thick for carbon steel . Thinner will warp and thicker will not quickly change temperature when you want it to.

15 gauge is 1.8mm - I abuse the hell out of them temperature-wise and not a hint of warping.

 

[Berwhale]

Whole sprouts, I prefer them roasted. I also like to slice them up and put them in a stir fry or ramen

 

[sam_adams]

The big ones are great for grilling/roasting. The little ones are best steamed or sautéed in a little olive oil, shallots and white wine. The trick to both is to remove the dark green outer leaves and don't overcook them—firm not mushy.

 

[DWPress]

They are a staple at our family table. Ex wife was vegetarian, one of the kids has followed suit so veg is always plentiful. We're the freaks at the grocery store who's kids (when they were cute and little) would cheer when the broccoli, sprouts, beets and cauliflower went in the cart which garnered many looks of admiration from the older generation and looks of sheer horror from other parents who's carts were laden with frozen dinners.

There'll be a big bowl of them today, not sure how we'll prepare yet but perfect alongside a turkey fresh out of the smoker, sweet potato gratin, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh peas in butter... ....ok, off to help with preparations!

Merry Christmas all!

 

[Martin Takamine]

I avoided Brussels sprouts for years after watching The Abominable Dr. Phibes when I was a kid.

 

[mhardy6647]

Hmmm, I'll have to mic mine to see. Carbon steel, the cheap ones you can get at Chinese groceries, those re really the best. I've had mine for 40 years.

we've got one that's probably just like yours, and nearly exactly the same age (from grad school days, in our case, at least).
Since 2013, we've even had a gas-fired cooktop that does it justice -- after nigh-on three decades of using it on electric stovetops.
Carbon steel cookware seems to be making a comeback, which isn't a bad thing.

 

[Ken1951]

Love most veggies. My wife love brussels sprouts. Me... I cannot abide them. Despise them. No matter how they're cooked!

 

[mhardy6647]

Oh, they grow pretty well here in the northeastern US, too.