Why it works: Onion and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 68,474 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
To Warm Over Cold Meats
Ingredients
Directions
Take the pieces of cold steak or roast and put into a stew-pan, and nearly cover with water.
Slice the onions into two or three pieces.
Add butter, pepper, and salt, and stew until very tender.
Mix a little flour in cold water and stir into the gravy to thicken.
Tough steak is also prepared in the same way.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| 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.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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.
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Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 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
- Cold steak or roast (in the method)
- Provides the meat that becomes tender through long, slow stewing.
- Onions
- Soften during stewing and add sweetness and body to the gravy.
- Flour (in the method)
- Thickens the gravy as its starch swells with heat.
The step that matters
Stewing until very tender. Tough connective tissue in meat breaks down only with long, gentle simmering. Stopping early leaves the meat chewy, so it should be checked until it is fully tender before thickening.
“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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