Why it works: Pepper and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,814 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Curing a Side of Buck
Ingredients
Directions
Hang and wipe
Hang the side of buck in a well-ventilated area.
Wipe it daily with a coarse cloth.
Dust the fat parts with ground black pepper to deter flies.
Prepare the meat
Remove the outer skin and sinews with a sharp knife.
Bone the meat.
Cut the meat into pieces suitable for rolling into collars.
Cure and pack
Rub vinegar over the meat.
Pack it tightly in a deep dish.
Cover it until the next day.
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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Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Buck
- Provides the meat that is trimmed, cut and cured.
- Ground black pepper
- Dusted on the fat to deter flies while the meat hangs.
- Vinegar
- Rubbed over the meat to add acidity and help preserve its surface.
The step that matters
Hanging the side in a well-ventilated area. Air movement lets the surface dry and cool, which slows spoilage bacteria and mould. Poor airflow lets the surface stay damp and warm, so the meat can spoil before curing is complete.
“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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