Why it works: Tomato and cumin are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,272 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Southwestern Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Heat large nonstick skillet over high heat.
Add beef, onion, celery and water, then reduce heat to medium.
Cook and stir 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, then drain fat.
Stir in tomatoes and green chilies, tomato sauce, brown sugar, cumin and salt; bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes or until mixture thickens.
Serve
Serve on whole wheat buns.
Garnish as desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Celery | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Wheat | 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.
-
Tomato + cumintop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,272 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Celery + tomatotop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,377 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Celery + cumintop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together439 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Onion + cumintop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,498 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 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
- Lean ground beef round
- Provides the meaty base of the filling, browning as it cooks and becoming the bulk of the sauce.
- Diced tomatoes and green chilies
- Adds moisture and acidity that help build the saucy body of the filling.
- No-salt-added tomato sauce
- Supplies liquid and tomato flavor, thickening as the mixture simmers.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Chopped onion
- Contributes savory aroma and sweetness as it softens in the pan.
The step that matters
Simmer until the mixture thickens. Simmering lets water evaporate and the sauce reduce, so the filling thickens rather than soaking the bun. Stopping too early leaves it thin and watery.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, celery, tomato, sauce, sugar, cumin, wheat):
- Capsicumfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, celery, tomato, sauce, sugar, cumin, wheat. 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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