Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Beef Stew
Ingredients
Directions
Cook
In a large pot, cook the beef or veal over medium heat for 2 to 3 hours until tender.
Add the halved potatoes and onions, if using, and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft.
Season the stew to taste.
Serve
Remove the meat and vegetables to a platter.
Thicken the gravy and pour it over the meat and vegetables before serving.
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.
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + potatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,052 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef or veal
- Long, slow simmering breaks down connective tissue, making the meat tender and flavorful.
- Potatoes
- Starch that softens during cooking and helps thicken the stew while adding body.
- Onions
- Adds sweetness and savory aroma as they soften in the cooking liquid.
The step that matters
Cook the beef slowly until tender. Beef needs a long, gentle simmer so its connective tissue breaks down into gelatin. Cooking too hard or too briefly leaves the meat tough and chewy.
“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.
More beef stew recipes
You might also like
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Roast Beef211 recipes
Beef Loaf175 recipes
Corned Beef87 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.