Why it works: Ginger and garlic are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,402 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Lu Neu Jian
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean ox tendons, scald in boiling water, then raise into cold water.
Cut ginger into thick slices, hit gently with a hammer, and mince the garlic.
Soak dry tangerine peel, and scrape the pith away after the peel is soft.
Braise
Heat a wok with oil, add garlic, ginger, tangerine peel, and 300 ml of water.
Add ox tendons when the water is boiled, and braise for 2 hours on low heat.
Add rock sugar, and braise until the sauce is almost dry, then dish up.
Serve
Slice ox tendons when cool, brush with sesame oil, and serve.
May be served with sliced cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Tangerine | 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.
-
Ginger + garlictop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,402 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Sugar + saucetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,147 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Ginger + tangerinetop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together18 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Ginger + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together14,054 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
-
Ginger + saucetop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,409 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ginger and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 14,054 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ox tendons
- Collagen-rich connective tissue that becomes tender and gelatinous during long, slow braising.
- Rock sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps give the sauce a glossy, caramelised finish as it reduces.
- Light soy sauce
- Provides salty, savoury flavour that seasons the braising liquid.
- Dark soy sauce
- Adds colour and a deeper, mellow flavour to the braising sauce.
- Ginger
- Contributes a warm, aromatic pungency that balances the rich meat.
The step that matters
Braise until the sauce is almost dry. Reducing the liquid concentrates the sugar and soy so the sauce clings to the tendons; reducing too far can scorch the sugar and make it bitter.
Swap the tangerine
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ginger, garlic, sugar, sauce):
- Limefits better
- Lemonfits better
- Mangofits better
- Tangerinethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ginger, garlic, sugar, sauce. 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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