Name: Stuffed Shoulder of Veal
Ingredients: 1 shoulder of veal; ½ cup stale bread crumbs; ½ tablespoon coarse sea salt; 1 teaspoon dried sage; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon lemon juice; ¼ cup chopped salt pork; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ¼ cup melted butter; 1 egg, beaten; hot water (as needed)

Why it works: Sage and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,485 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

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.

Sage + thymetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,485 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Thyme + lemontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,973 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Sage + lemontop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together887 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together27,047 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Sage + peppertop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,388 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Veal shoulder: Forms the main body of the roast, and its connective tissue softens into tender meat during slow cooking.
Stale bread crumbs: Absorb liquid and fat, giving the stuffing body and a soft, moist texture.
Egg: Binds the stuffing so it holds together when sliced instead of crumbling.
Melted butter: Adds fat that carries flavor and keeps the stuffing and surrounding meat moist.
Salt pork: Renders fat into the meat as it cooks, adding richness and savory flavor.

The step that matters

Cook for 30 minutes per pound. A stuffed roast is dense and the stuffing sits in the cavity, so the center heats more slowly. Cooking for the full time, checking that the center is fully cooked, ensures the stuffing and meat are done throughout.

“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.

Stuffed Shoulder of Veal