Name: Slow-cooking Steak and Gravy
Ingredients: 2 to 2 1/2 lb. round steak; 1 (1 1/2 oz.) pkg. onion soup mix; 1/4 c. water; 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Why it works: Onion and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,626 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Slow-cooking Steak and Gravy

Time6-8 hours on low

Ingredients

2 to 2 1/2 lb. round steak
1 (1 1/2 oz.) pkg. onion soup mix
1/4 c. water
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Directions

Cut steak into 5-6 serving size pieces.
Place in slow cooking pot.
Add dry onion soup mix, water, and condensed mushroom soup.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

360Calories

30 gProtein

21 gFat

13 gCarbs

Counts 4 of 6 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Beef	100g cooked	250
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Mushroom	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Soup	not in our table	0
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.

Onion + mushroomtop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together10,626 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Cream + mushroomtop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together4,500 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Onion + creamtop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together10,827 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).

Onion and cream barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 10,827 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

Round steak: Provides the meat, which becomes tender through long, slow cooking in liquid.
Onion soup mix: Adds savory onion flavour and seasoning to the sauce.
Condensed cream of mushroom soup: Thickens the cooking liquid into a creamy gravy and adds mushroom flavour.