Spiced Corned Beef

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.

1. Clove + allspicetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together7,874 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together17,451 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

3. Pepper + allspicetop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together6,395 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

4. Clove + macetop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together8,400 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).

5. Allspice + macetop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,189 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).

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

What each ingredient does

Beef

Main cut that absorbs the cure and becomes tender through long cooking.

Coarse sea salt

Draws moisture out of the meat and seasons it as the cure penetrates.

Molasses

Adds sweetness and deep color to the crust and the finished meat.

Saltpeter

Helps the meat keep its pink color and aids preservation during curing.

The step that matters

Swap the allspice

The recipe marks allspice as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, molasses, pepper, clove, mace):

1. Allspicethe original
2. Cinnamonfits about as well
3. Nutmegfits less well
4. Gingerfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, molasses, pepper, clove, mace. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.