Why it works: Beans and tomato match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,713 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Baked Beans Panama
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the beans
Soak the beans overnight in plenty of water.
Drain the beans and pressure cook in enough water for 20 to 25 minutes.
Strain the beans.
Bake
Mix all ingredients well.
Pour into a casserole and cover with lid.
Bake in a moderately hot oven for 1¼ to 1½ hours.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 8 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Broad 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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Beans + tomatotop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,713 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beans + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
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).
-
Beans + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,733 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
- Broad beans
- Form the bulk of the dish and provide its starchy, hearty texture.
- Tomato puree
- Adds body, moisture and tomato flavour that coats the beans as they bake.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the sauce brown and thicken during baking.
- Onion
- Contributes aroma and savoury sweetness as it softens into the sauce.
The step that matters
Pressure cooking the soaked beans. Beans must be fully tender before baking, because the acidic sauce and sugar added later slow softening. Undercooked beans stay firm and chalky, so check they are soft before mixing.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beans, tomato, sauce, sugar, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Okrafits better
- Sweet potatofits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beans, tomato, sauce, sugar, 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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