Why it works: Garlic and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Swiss Steak
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the meat
Cut meat into serving pieces.
In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
Coat meat with seasoned flour.
Brown and simmer
In a large skillet, brown meat in hot oil.
Add remaining ingredients.
Cover and simmer 1 hour.
Serve with potatoes or wide noodles.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 10 of 11 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Soup | 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.
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.
-
Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Garlic + mushroomtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,700 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Tomato + mushroomtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,719 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Round steaks
- Tough cut of beef that becomes tender during long, slow simmering.
- All-purpose flour
- Coats the meat, helping it brown and thickening the sauce slightly.
- Condensed tomato soup
- Provides a thick, savoury tomato base that keeps the meat moist during simmering.
- Stewed tomatoes
- Add acidity and liquid, building the body of the sauce.
- Onion
- Adds sweetness and savoury depth as it softens in the sauce.
- Green pepper
- Contributes a fresh, slightly bitter vegetable note and a bit of texture.
The step that matters
Browning the floured meat. Browning the flour-coated meat in hot oil creates a deeper, savoury flavour through the Maillard reaction. Crowding the pan steams the meat instead, leaving it grey and less flavourful.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, pepper, garlic, onion, tomato, mushroom):
- Thymefits better
- Cuminfits better
- Oreganofits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, pepper, garlic, onion, tomato, mushroom. 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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