Why it works: Beef and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,232 recipes. Both carry 2,4-nonadienal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Dijon Beef Stew
Ingredients
Directions
Brown the beef
Dredge beef with flour.
Sauté in hot oil in Dutch oven.
Add onions and cook until onions are done and beef browned.
Simmer the stew
Add broth and mustard.
Simmer, partially covered, for 2–3 hours until meat is tender.
Finish with mushrooms
Sauté mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes, then add wine.
Bring to a boil and add to stew.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
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.
-
Beef + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,232 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Olive + mushroomtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,571 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mushroom + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,525 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chuck stew meat
- Becomes tender over long simmering as its connective tissue breaks down.
- Soy flour or thickener
- Coats the beef and thickens the broth as the stew cooks.
- Dijon
- Adds sharp, tangy flavor that mellows during the long simmer.
- Mushrooms
- Add earthy flavor and savory depth to the finished stew.
- Dry red wine
- Adds acidity and depth to the sauce once boiled down.
The step that matters
Browning the beef in hot oil. Searing the flour-dredged beef in hot oil creates browned flavor through the Maillard reaction. Crowding the pan or insufficient heat steams the meat instead, leaving the stew flat in flavor.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (meat, olive, flour, beef, mushroom, butter, red wine):
- Shallotfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Potatofits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against meat, olive, flour, beef, mushroom, butter, red wine. 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.
You might also like
Roast Beef211 recipes
Beef Loaf175 recipes
Corned Beef87 recipes
Beef Broth67 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.