Why it works: Meat and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 22% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,432 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Pork Pies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Re-knead the pastry dough and set aside a portion for the lid.
Shape the remaining dough into a round or oval form.
If needed, use a small jar to help mold the pie crust.
Press some meat into the bottom of the pie crust to support it.
Moisten the meat with 2 to 3 tablespoons of gravy before adding the lid.
Pin three or four folds of greased paper around the pie to maintain its shape.
Bake the pie for at least 2 hours, brushing it with egg yolk halfway through.
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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Meat + eggtop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,432 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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