Ragout of Beef

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.

1. Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together29,058 recipes

   Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

2. Dill + carrottop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together321 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

3. Pepper + dilltop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,630 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

4. Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together17,451 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

5. Clove + carrottop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together5,873 recipes

   Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).

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

What each ingredient does

Beef stew meat

Provides the main protein, which becomes tender through long, slow simmering.

Flour

Thickens the cooking liquid into a smooth sauce when heated with it.

Sour cream

Adds richness and a tangy flavor to the finished sauce.

Carrots

Add sweetness and body as they soften during cooking.

Onion

Adds aromatic sweetness and depth to the braising liquid.

The step that matters

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, meat, garlic, onion, pepper, dill, carrot):

1. Parsleyfits better
2. Thymefits better
3. Cuminfits better
4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, meat, garlic, onion, pepper, dill, carrot. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.