Why it works: Beef and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,971 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Glaze for Cold Hams, Tongues, Etc
Ingredients
Directions
Make a clear, strong stock from the bones without salt, pepper, or herbs, and free from fat or sediment.
In a copper saucepan, combine the stock and a little whole pepper.
Boil quickly until the mixture thickens to a syrup-like consistency, stirring constantly as it thickens.
Test a small amount on a plate; it is done when it sets like jam.
For a lighter glaze, use more veal than beef.
Once thickened, transfer to a smaller saucepan and simmer gently until it jellies.
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.
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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Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,971 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
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