To solve the equation \(x + 11 = -17\) for \(x\), you should subtract \(11\) from both sides of the equation. This can be expressed as follows:
\[ x + 11 - 11 = -17 - 11 \]
This simplifies to:
\[ x = -28 \]
So, you should subtract \(11\) from both sides of the equation.