Superbowl Crockpot Beef and Pork Barbeque

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. Beef + porktop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together5,690 recipes

   Shared aroma: 12-methyltridecanal (tallowy, beefy).

2. Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together9,259 recipes

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

3. Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together17,092 recipes

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

4. Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together14,067 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Pork + oniontop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together18,214 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

Beef stew meat

Provides the main protein; slow cooking breaks down its connective tissue until it turns tender.

Pork

Adds a second meat whose fat and collagen keep the shredded texture moist over long cooking.

Chopped onion

Adds moisture and savory sweetness as it softens and releases juices into the sauce.

Brown sugar

Adds sweetness and helps the sauce caramelize and darken during long cooking.

Tomato paste

Thickens the sauce and adds concentrated tomato flavor and acidity.

Vinegar

Adds acidity that brightens the sauce and balances the sweetness.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, meat, pork, sugar, mustard, vinegar, sauce):

1. Horseradishfits better
2. Shallotfits better
3. Capsicumfits about as well
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, meat, pork, sugar, mustard, vinegar, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.