Why it works: Beans and pork are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,000 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Beans and Poek
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Soak the beans overnight in water.
Drain and rinse the beans.
Cook
In a pot, combine the beans and pork.
Cover with water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1-2 hours.
Season to taste before serving.
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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Beans + porktop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,000 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
- Dried beans
- Form the main body of the dish and soften into a tender, creamy texture as they simmer.
- Pork
- Adds fat and savory flavor that seasons the beans as they cook together.
The step that matters
Simmer until the beans are tender. Dried beans need a long, gentle simmer to soften fully. Rushing this with a hard boil can break the skins and leave the centers firm, so keep the heat low once the pot reaches a boil.
“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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