Why it works: Beef and potato match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and 2,051 recipes mention both. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓
The recipe
8 servingsIngredients
Contains: wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef cubes with the salt and black pepper, then brown them in batches for about 10 minutes total, removing each batch as it browns.
Return all the beef to the pot, sprinkle with the flour, and stir for 2 minutes so the flour coats the meat and cooks slightly.
Slowly pour in the water, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the browning sauce and rosemary, then bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 120 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beef is tender and reaches at least 145°F (63°C) in the thickest pieces.
Add the potatoes and carrots, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender.
Stir in the corn, green beans, and instant rice. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked and the beans are tender.
Remove from the heat and let the stew stand for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed, then serve hot.
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.
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Beef + potatotop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,051 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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Potato + carrottop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together3,105 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
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Pepper + carrottop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together14,555 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Olive + potatotop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together5,688 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
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Beef + peppertop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the carrot
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, beef, meat, flour, pepper, potato, sauce):
- Tomatobetter flavor fit
- Capsicumbetter flavor fit
- Carrotthe original
- Onionabout as good a flavor fit
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, beef, meat, flour, pepper, potato, sauce. 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).
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