Name: Three-alarm Chili
Ingredients: 1 pound (480 g) top sirloin, coarsely ground; 1 medium white onion, 6 ounces (180 g), chopped; 1 large clove garlic, minced; 1 medium red bell pepper, 6 ounces (180 g), seeded and chopped; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) good-quality chili powder; ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) ground cumin; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) crushed dried oregano; 1 14½-ounce (435 g) no salt added crushed tomatoes; ½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium canned beef broth

Why it works: Cumin and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 983 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Three-alarm Chili

Time35 to 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound (480 g) top sirloin, coarsely ground
1 medium white onion, 6 ounces (180 g), chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 medium red bell pepper, 6 ounces (180 g), seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons (45 ml) good-quality chili powder
½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (5 ml) crushed dried oregano
1 14½-ounce (435 g) no salt added crushed tomatoes
½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium canned beef broth

Directions

Brown the beef

Put the ground sirloin in a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring, until beef is no longer pink, then drain off any fat or juices.
Measure 2 tablespoons of the onion and set aside.

Simmer the chili

Put remaining onion, garlic, and bell pepper into the pot and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, tomatoes with their liquid, and beef broth.
Lower heat to simmer and cook, covered, until meat and vegetables are tender, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Prepare the topping and serve

Meanwhile, finely mince the reserved onion, place it in a small bowl, and stir in remaining topping ingredients. Set aside.
When chili is done, ladle into bowl and offer topping to spoon onto each serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

372Calories

30 gProtein

17 gFat

25 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Bell Pepper	1 medium (119g)	31
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Cumin	1 tsp ground (2.1g)	8
Oregano	1 tsp dried (1.8g)	5
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
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.

Cumin + oreganotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together983 recipes

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

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together29,058 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Garlic + cumintop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,082 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Oregano + tomatotop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,767 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Garlic + oreganotop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,756 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

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

What each ingredient does

Ground sirloin: Provides the meaty base and savory flavor of the chili.
Chili powder: Supplies the main chili flavor and heat.
Crushed tomatoes: Add acidity and liquid that form the body of the sauce.
White onion: Adds sweetness and aromatic depth as it softens.
Red bell pepper: Contributes sweetness and tender texture to the simmered chili.
Beef broth: Adds savory depth and moisture to the simmering liquid.

The step that matters

Simmering until tender. Cooking covered on low heat lets the meat and vegetables soften slowly while the sauce thickens. Simmering too hard can toughen the meat and reduce the liquid unevenly.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, garlic, pepper, cumin, oregano, tomato, beef):

Corianderfits better
Thymefits better
Basilfits better
Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, garlic, pepper, cumin, oregano, tomato, beef. 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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Three-alarm Chili