Why it works: Tomato and garlic are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,076 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Heinz Burger Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Let sit for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend together.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Relish | 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 + garlictop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,090 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Ketchup + sugartop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together260 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Apple cider vinegar + garlictop 13% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together344 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mayonnaise
- Provides the creamy base and rich fat that gives the sauce its body.
- Tomato ketchup
- Adds sweetness, tang and color, and contributes to the sauce's body.
- Sweet relish
- Adds sweetness and bits of texture throughout the sauce.
- Apple cider vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the sauce and balances the richness of the mayonnaise.
- Granulated sugar
- Adds sweetness that balances the acidity of the vinegar and ketchup.
- Minced garlic
- Adds pungent aroma and savory flavor.
The step that matters
Let the sauce rest. Resting lets the garlic, vinegar, sugar and salt dissolve and spread through the mayonnaise base, so the flavors meld instead of tasting harsh or uneven.
Swap the garlic
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, sugar, pepper):
- Celeryfits about as well
- Thymefits about as well
- Basilfits about as well
- Garlicthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, sugar, pepper. 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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