Name: 1923 Steak and Pure Cream
Ingredients: rib eye, sirloin, or t-bone steak (1½ inch thick); olive oil; salt, pepper to taste; Worcestershire sauce; 1 pound fresh mushrooms; 2 tbsp butter; ½ cup half and half

Why it works: Olive and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,571 recipes. Both carry trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓

1923 Steak and Pure Cream

Ingredients

Directions

Marinate

Marinate the steak in several tablespoons of olive oil seasoned with salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce for at least 3 hours.

Cook the steak

Sear the steak on one side, then the other side.
Broil the steak.

Make the mushrooms

Cook the mushrooms in butter seasoned with salt and pepper, stirring often.
Add the half-and-half to the mushroom mixture, stirring well.

Serve

When the steak is cooked to your liking, place it on a serving platter and cover with the mushrooms and cream.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

552Calories

30 gProtein

46 gFat

5 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Mushrooms	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Soy Sauce	1 tbsp (15ml)	9
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
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.

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.

Olive + mushroomtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,571 recipes

Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
Mushroom + buttertop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together12,525 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
Olive + peppertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together30,263 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Pepper + mushroomtop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together13,580 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sauce + buttertop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together15,338 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Sauce and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,338 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

Steak: Provides the main protein, and its searing and broiling create browned, savoury flavour on the surface.
Mushrooms: Release moisture as they cook and brown, adding earthy savoury flavour to the sauce.
Half and half: Adds fat and richness, giving the mushrooms a creamy, smooth texture.
Butter: Carries fat for cooking the mushrooms, promoting browning and a rich flavour.
Worcestershire sauce: Adds savoury, tangy depth to the marinade that penetrates the steak.

The step that matters

Searing the steak before broiling. A hot sear browns the surface through the Maillard reaction, building flavour and a crust. Starting with a dry, well-heated surface helps the browning happen rather than steaming the meat.

“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.

Mushroom Soup60 recipes

Tomato Soup526 recipes

Brown Bread461 recipes

Mutton Broth292 recipes

Like knowing why a recipe works?

The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.

1923 Steak and Pure Cream