Why it works: Garlic and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,082 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Carne Guisada
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the steak
Coat steak with cornstarch.
Cook in a large oiled skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring constantly.
Drain the meat on paper towels.
Simmer
Clean the skillet and add the steak and all other ingredients to the skillet.
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often.
Remove the lid and cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or until sauce is thick and meat is tender.
Serve
Serve with flour tortillas.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Garlic + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,082 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Tomato + cumintop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,272 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Pepper + cumintop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,382 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 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
- Sirloin steak
- Provides the meat that becomes tender during the long simmer.
- Cornstarch
- Coats the steak so it browns well and later helps thicken the sauce.
- Diced tomatoes
- Form the liquid base of the sauce and add acidity and body.
- Ground cumin
- Contributes warm, earthy aroma that defines the dish's flavor.
- Jalapeño pepper
- Adds heat and pepper flavor to the sauce.
- Bell pepper
- Adds sweetness and vegetable flavor to the sauce.
The step that matters
Browning the coated steak. Browning in a hot oiled skillet develops deep flavor through the Maillard reaction. Stirring constantly and draining the meat keeps it from steaming in its juices, so the browned flavor carries into the sauce.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (garlic, pepper, cumin):
- Spinachfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Okrafits about as well
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against garlic, pepper, cumin. 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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