Why it works: Strawberry and butter match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 1,145 recipes mention both. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
The recipe
2 servingsIngredients
Contains: milk, soy (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
In a small bowl, stir together the strawberry preserves, minced garlic, soy sauce, prepared horseradish and cayenne pepper to make a glaze.
Pat the pork chops dry. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the pork chops and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, until well browned.
Reduce the heat to medium. Spoon the glaze over the chops and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, turning once, until the glaze is sticky and bubbling.
Check the thickest part of each chop with a thermometer. It must reach at least 145°F (63°C). Let the chops rest 3 minutes before serving.
Slice the fresh strawberries and arrange them over the chops as garnish. Spoon any pan juices over the top and serve.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Strawberry + buttertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together1,145 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
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Garlic + peppertop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together27,044 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Garlic + horseradishtop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together717 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
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Pork + buttertop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together13,848 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
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Sauce + horseradishtop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together775 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the horseradish
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (strawberry, garlic, sauce, pork, butter, pepper):
- Potatobetter flavor fit
- Tomatobetter flavor fit
- Capsicumbetter flavor fit
- Horseradishthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against strawberry, garlic, sauce, pork, butter, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
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