Why it works: Pepper and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,451 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Venison Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderately hot oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Prepare a plain pastry.
Line an earthen pudding dish with the pastry, about 1 inch thick.
Add a layer of chopped beef suet at the bottom of the pie.
Season the venison pieces with salt, pepper, and ground cloves.
Place the seasoned venison pieces in the dish.
Pour 1 cup of red wine over the venison.
Add a layer of chopped beef suet at the top of the pie.
Cover the venison with another layer of chopped suet.
Assemble and bake
Top the pie with pastry, wetting the edges to seal.
Cut several slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Brush the crust with beaten egg.
Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 2 hours, or until the venison is tender.
While baking, simmer the venison bones in water with salt and pepper to make gravy.
Finish and serve
Pour the gravy through the slits in the top crust.
Serve hot.
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.
-
Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Clove + red winetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together849 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Beef + red winetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,017 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Venison + red winetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together167 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Venison
- Provides the main meat, which becomes tender through long, slow baking.
- Beef suet
- Adds fat and richness, keeping the meat moist during baking.
- Red wine
- Adds acidity and depth of flavor to the meat.
- Pastry
- Encloses the filling and forms a sturdy, golden crust.
- Egg
- Brushed on the crust to promote browning and a glossy finish.
The step that matters
Pour the gravy through the slits after baking. Adding the gravy before baking can make the pastry soggy. Pouring it in through the steam vents once the crust is set keeps the base crisp and the filling moist.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, venison, pepper, red wine, egg):
- Rosemaryfits better
- Thymefits about as well
- Parsleyfits about as well
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, venison, pepper, red wine, egg. 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.
You might also like
Roast Beef211 recipes
Beef Loaf175 recipes
Corned Beef87 recipes
Beef Broth67 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.