Name: Pork Chops with Orange Gravy
Ingredients: 4 to 6 pork chops; 4 to 6 slices of fresh orange (optional); Dash each of cinnamon and nutmeg; 1 can beef broth; 3 tbsp. brown sugar; 1 c. orange juice; 2 tbsp. orange juice or water; 2 tbsp. cornstarch

Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Pork Chops with Orange Gravy

Time15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Brown the chops

Brown chops in bottom of pressure cooker.
When browned, top with orange slices and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pressure cook

Pour in broth mixed with sugar and orange juice.
Cover and cook in pressure cooker 15 minutes until fork tender.

Thicken and serve

Thicken broth with cornstarch and orange juice mixture.
Simmer a few more minutes to thicken and coat chops.
Serve with rice and French cut green beans.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1076Calories

67 gProtein

31 gFat

126 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Beef	100g cooked	250
Pork	100g cooked	242
Orange	1 medium (131g)	62
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Nutmeg	1 tsp ground (2.2g)	12
Cinnamon	1 tsp ground (2.6g)	6
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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together11,917 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Pork + beeftop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,690 recipes

Shared aroma: 12-methyltridecanal (tallowy, beefy).
Orange + cinnamontop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,437 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Orange + nutmegtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,746 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Cinnamon + sugartop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together30,779 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Cinnamon and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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

Pork chops: Provide the main protein, which becomes tender during the pressure cooking.
Beef broth: Supplies the liquid that cooks the chops and forms the base of the sauce.
Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the sauce brown and taste rounded.
Orange juice: Adds acidity and fruity flavor to the sauce.
Cornstarch: Thickens the broth so the sauce clings to the chops.

The step that matters

Thickening the sauce with cornstarch. Cornstarch must be mixed with cold liquid first and then simmered briefly so its starch swells and thickens the sauce. Adding it dry or undissolved causes lumps and a thin, cloudy sauce.

Swap the orange

The recipe marks orange as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pork, cinnamon, nutmeg, beef, sugar):

Raisinfits better
Figfits about as well
Vanillafits about as well
Orangethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pork, cinnamon, nutmeg, beef, sugar. 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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Pork Chops with Orange Gravy