Why it works: Tomato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,923 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Pork Fing
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soften the bean threads in a bowl of boiling water for 2 minutes.
Drain and cut into 6-inch lengths.
Chop the onion coarsely with the metal blade of a food processor, about 4 pulses. Set aside.
Chop the tomato coarsely, about 4 pulses.
Make the stew
Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
Add the onion, tomato, pork, and water and simmer over low heat until just tender, about 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Add the bean threads, chili peppers, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Bean | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | 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.
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Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + porktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,214 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + porktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,843 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Pork shoulder
- Becomes tender and rich over long, gentle simmering, giving the stew its main body and meatiness.
- Bean threads
- Absorb the flavorful broth and turn soft and slippery, adding texture to the stew.
- Onion
- Breaks down during simmering, adding sweetness and savory depth to the broth.
- Tomato
- Adds acidity and moisture, helping build the body of the cooking liquid.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness to the saucepan base and carries flavor.
- Green chili peppers
- Add heat and fresh aroma to the finished stew.
The step that matters
Simmering the pork until just tender. Pork shoulder is a tough cut that needs a long, low simmer to break down its connective tissue; cooking it hard or too briefly leaves it chewy or dry. Keeping the heat low prevents the liquid from evaporating and toughening the meat.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, butter, pork, pepper):
- Potatofits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Chivefits about as well
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, butter, pork, pepper. 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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