Why it works: Onion and beef are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 17,092 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Giblet Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a steady oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Cut the steak and giblets into small squares and the onions into quarters.
Place all ingredients in a pan and cover with water.
Simmer and assemble
Simmer for 1.5 hours.
Arrange the mixture in a pie dish.
Dredge with seasoned flour.
Pour over the gravy, which should be cleared of fat.
Cover the pie with short crust pastry.
Bake
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 1 hour.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Onion + beeftop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together25,843 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Parsley + flourtop 12% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together16,675 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Beef + parsleytop 16% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together5,866 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Onion + flourtop 17% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together32,460 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Giblets
- Provide rich meaty flavour and body to the filling.
- Juicy beef steak
- Adds meat flavour and moisture to the filling during slow cooking.
- Onions
- Add sweetness and aroma as they soften in the filling.
- Seasoned flour
- Dredging thickens the gravy so it binds around the filling.
The step that matters
Clearing the fat from the gravy. Fat left on the gravy can make the pie greasy and can keep the crust from crisping. Skimming it before pouring keeps the filling light and the pastry dry.
Flavor stand-ins for the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, beef, sauce, flour):
- Jalapenobetter flavor fit
- Capersbetter flavor fit
- Garlicbetter flavor fit
- Parsleythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, beef, sauce, flour. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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 giblet pie recipes
You might also like
Roast Beef211 recipes
Beef Loaf175 recipes
Corned Beef87 recipes
Beef Broth67 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.