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 ↓
Brown Stock
Ingredients
Directions
Brown the meat
In a covered stewpan, place the beef, veal, and trotters or cow heel with a little water to draw out the gravy gently until it nearly dries and browns.
Simmer
Pour in enough boiling water to cover the meat completely and let it boil slowly, skimming frequently.
Season with whole black pepper, coarse sea salt, and any roots, herbs, or vegetables.
Boil gently for 5 to 6 hours, then pour the broth off the meat and let it cool overnight.
Finish and store
The next morning, remove the scum and fat, and store the stock in a stone jar for later use.
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).
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Beef + vealtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,784 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).
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Veal + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,049 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef shank
- Gives the stock body and gelatin as it breaks down during long simmering.
- Veal knuckle
- Adds gelatin and body, giving the finished stock a richer mouthfeel.
- Sheep's trotters or cow heel
- Contributes gelatin, which gives the stock body and a silky texture when cooled.
The step that matters
Browning the meat at the start. Slowly drawing out the juices until they nearly dry and brown creates browned meat flavour through the Maillard reaction. Skipping or rushing this leaves the stock tasting flat and pale.
“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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