Why it works: Pork and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,668 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓
Roast Pork
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Place the pork in a roasting pan.
Sprinkle the pork with salt and pepper, then spread a little butter over it.
Pour ½ cup of water into the pan.
Roast and serve
Roast in the oven for 1 hour or more, depending on the size of the roast.
Baste the pork occasionally.
If desired, add small peeled raw potatoes to the pan, seasoning and basting them as well.
Serve the pork and potatoes on the same platter.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Pork + potatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,668 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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Pepper + potatotop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Butter + potatotop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,456 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Pork + buttertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,933 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
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Pork + peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together22,121 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
- Pork loin
- Forms the main meat, which becomes tender and juicy as it roasts slowly in the oven.
- Butter
- Adds fat that carries seasoning and promotes browning on the pork surface.
- Water
- Creates steam in the pan that keeps the pork moist during roasting.
- Potatoes
- Absorb pan juices and fat while roasting, becoming tender and flavourful.
The step that matters
Baste the pork occasionally. Spooning pan juices over the meat keeps the surface moist and helps it brown evenly, while the pan liquid adds flavour. Without basting, the outer layer can dry out during the long roast.
Swap the potato
The recipe marks potato as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pork, pepper, butter):
- Potatothe original
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Onionfits less well
- Tomatofits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against pork, pepper, butter. 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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