Large Quantity Homemade Mincemeat

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.

1. Apple + cidertop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,238 recipes

   Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).

2. Pepper + allspicetop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together6,395 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

3. Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together18,971 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

4. Raisin + allspicetop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,475 recipes

   Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).

5. Sugar + molassestop 11% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together9,225 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

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

What each ingredient does

Lean beef

Provides the meaty body and savory base that the fruit and sugar sit against.

Suet

Adds rich fat that keeps the filling moist and gives it a smooth mouthfeel.

Apples

Supply bulk, moisture and tartness that balance the sweetness.

Raisins

Add concentrated sweetness and chewy texture as they soften during cooking.

Brown sugar

Sweetens the mix and adds caramel notes as it cooks down.

Cooking molasses

Adds dark sweetness and depth of flavor along with moisture.

The step that matters

Swap the raisin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, apple, sugar, molasses, cider, pepper, allspice):

1. Figfits better
2. Plumfits better
3. Grapefits better
4. Raisinthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, apple, sugar, molasses, cider, pepper, allspice. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.