Name: Guinean Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients: 1 kg filet (or hamburger); 1 small onion, grated; 1/4 cup dry white wine; salt, pepper, nutmeg; butter; 1 can of mushrooms, rinsed well; 1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)

Why it works: White wine and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,765 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity. The science ↓

Guinean Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Sauté onion and mushrooms in a small amount of butter.
Set aside.

Cook the beef

Brown filet (cut into bite-size strips) in skillet.
Mix onions and mushrooms with beef.
Season to taste.

Finish and serve

Over medium heat, add wine and sour cream. Heat well, but do not boil.
Serve with noodles.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

554Calories

47 gProtein

28 gFat

22 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Wine	2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)	25
Mushroom	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Nutmeg	1 tsp ground (2.2g)	12
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	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.

White wine + mushroomtop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,765 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity).
Butter + mushroomtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together12,525 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together13,015 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together41,516 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
White wine + buttertop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,083 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

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

What each ingredient does

Filet: Provides the main protein, browned for savory flavor and a tender bite when cut into strips.
Sour cream: Adds creaminess and a slight tang that forms the body of the sauce.
Mushrooms: Contribute earthy flavor and moisture that blends into the sauce.
Onion: Adds sweetness and aroma when softened in butter.
Dry white wine: Adds acidity and depth that helps lift the flavors of the sauce.

The step that matters

Heat well, but do not boil. Sour cream can curdle and separate when it gets too hot or boils, so it should be warmed gently over medium heat until heated through.

Swap the nutmeg

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, white wine, pepper, butter, mushroom, cream):

Garlicfits better
Thymefits better
Parsleyfits better
Nutmegthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, white wine, pepper, butter, mushroom, cream. 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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Guinean Beef Stroganoff