Why it works: Carrot and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,555 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Broth in an Hour
Ingredients
Directions
Make the broth
In a stewpan, combine the beef, onion, carrot, bacon, and cold water.
Simmer for 15 minutes until the mixture begins to stick to the pan.
Add the boiling water, salt, and pepper; boil for 45 minutes.
Strain the broth and serve.
Second serving
For a second serving, boil again with vermicelli and season with catsup if desired.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Carrot + peppertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,555 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Onion + carrottop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together21,601 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + carrottop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,606 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lean beef
- Provides the main meaty flavor that gives the broth its body.
- Onion
- Adds aromatic sweetness and savory depth as it softens in the liquid.
- Carrot
- Contributes gentle sweetness and extra flavor to the broth.
- Bacon
- Adds smoky, salty fat that enriches the broth's aroma and flavor.
The step that matters
Simmer before adding the boiling water. The beef, onion, carrot and bacon need a gentle simmer in cold water so their flavors and juices are drawn out slowly. Adding boiling water too early can seize the meat and give a less flavorful broth.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, carrot, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Potatofits about as well
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, carrot, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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