Why it works: Beef and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,092 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Boiled Beef with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the sauce
Fry the chopped onion in butter until softened.
Add the flour, mix well, and pour the broth or milk on top.
Add the tomato paste or chunks of peeled and seeded tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Cover the pot and let it boil at slow heat until the liquid is entirely gone.
Assemble and serve
Cut the cold meat into bite-sized pieces, place on a platter and cover with the following sauce.
Serve with polenta.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| 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.
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.
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,448 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).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Onion + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Boiled beef
- Forms the bulk of the dish, providing the substance the sauce is spooned over.
- Onions
- Soften in butter to build a sweet, savoury base for the sauce.
- Flour
- Thickens the broth or milk into a smooth sauce that clings to the meat.
- Tomato paste
- Adds concentrated tomato flavour, acidity and colour to the sauce.
- Beef broth or milk
- Forms the liquid body of the sauce, carrying the flavour of the dish.
The step that matters
Reducing the sauce until the liquid is entirely gone. Simmering on slow heat with the lid on drives off water gradually. If the heat is too high or the pot is left uncovered, the flour-thickened sauce can scorch on the bottom before the liquid is fully evaporated.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, onion, butter, vinegar, sugar, flour):
- Chivefits better
- Shallotfits better
- Mustardfits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, onion, butter, vinegar, sugar, flour. 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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