Name: Good Mince-meat
Ingredients: 2 pounds lean fresh beef; 3 pounds beef suet; 6 pounds large juicy apples, peeled and cored; 6 pounds best raisins (or sultana raisins); 3 pounds currants, washed and dried; grated peel and juice of 2-3 large oranges; 2 tablespoons powdered cinnamon; 2 powdered nutmegs; 3 dozen powdered cloves; 1 teaspoon beaten mace; 1 pound fine brown sugar; 1 quart Madeira wine; 1 pint French brandy; ½ pound citron, cut into large slips

Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. 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.

Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together11,917 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together14,189 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
Nutmeg + clovetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together8,686 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Raisin + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,390 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Orange + cinnamontop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,437 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

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

What each ingredient does

Lean beef: Provides the meaty body and bulk of the filling once cooked and chopped fine.
Beef suet: Adds richness and moisture, keeping the mixture soft and juicy as it matures.
Apples: Contribute moisture, tartness and body to the filling.
Raisins: Add sweetness and chewy texture throughout the mixture.
Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and helps preserve the filling.
Madeira wine: Adds depth and acts as a preservative liquid in the mixture.

Swap the currant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, apple, raisin, orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove):

Figfits better
Cranberryfits better
Quincefits better
Currantthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, apple, raisin, orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. 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.