Name: Weinkraut
Ingredients: 1 qt sauerkraut; 1/4 c sliced onion; 2 Tbsp. butter or bacon drippings; 2 or 3 medium-size apples; 1 1/2 c white wine; 1/2 c beef stock or bouillon; 1 tsp. brown sugar; 1 tsp. celery seeds

Why it works: Onion and beef are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,092 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Weinkraut

Oven325°F

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Drain the sauerkraut slightly.
Cook the onion in butter or bacon drippings until transparent.
Add the sauerkraut and stir; cook slowly.
Wash, peel, and core the apples; dice the fruit and add to the sauerkraut.

Simmer and finish

Add the wine and enough beef stock or bouillon to cover.
Cook slowly, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Add the sugar and celery seeds; cover and finish cooking in a moderate 325° oven for 30 minutes longer.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

614Calories

31 gProtein

30 gFat

50 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Apple	1 medium (182g)	95
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Bacon	1 slice cooked (8g)	43
Wine	2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)	25
Celery Seed	1 stalk (40g)	6
Sauerkraut	not in our table	0
Dripping	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

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.

Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,092 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Onion + celerytop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,518 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Apple + white winetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together372 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
Butter + white winetop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,083 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Apple + celerytop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,155 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sauerkraut: Forms the base of the dish and provides its tangy, sour flavor.
White wine: Adds acidity and aroma as the liquid that simmers the kraut.
Apples: Add sweetness and moisture that soften and balance the sourness of the kraut.
Butter or bacon drippings: Adds fat and richness, carrying flavor from the cooked onion.
Beef stock or bouillon: Supplies savory depth and liquid for slow cooking.
Brown sugar: Adds sweetness that rounds out the sourness of the sauerkraut.

Swap the celery

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, butter, apple, white wine, beef, sugar):

Cinnamonfits better
Garlicfits better
Thymefits about as well
Celerythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, butter, apple, white wine, beef, sugar. 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.