Why it works: Red wine and vinegar work together. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 575 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓
Venison Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Combine red wine and sugar in a saucepan.
Simmer over medium heat for 5-6 minutes.
Alternatively, combine vinegar and sugar in a saucepan.
Simmer until it thickens into a syrup.
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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Red wine + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together575 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Red wine + sugartop 32% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together864 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Red wine
- Supplies the liquid and deep flavor that reduces into the sauce.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and, as it reduces, body and a syrupy texture.
- Vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity that balances the sweetness of the sugar.
The step that matters
Simmer until it thickens into a syrup. As liquid evaporates, the sauce thickens quickly near the end. Sugar can scorch and turn bitter if the heat is too high or the pan is left unattended, so watch closely and stop once it coats a spoon.
“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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