Why it works: Rice and beef match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and 2,175 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which smells popcorn, roasted. The science ↓
The recipe
6 servingsIngredients
Contains: wheat, soy (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.
Combine the glutinous white rice and 1 2/3 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Keep covered off heat until serving.
Cut the sirloin steak into thin strips about 1/4 inch thick, cutting across the grain.
In a saucepan, whisk the cornstarch with the beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and garlic powder until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring, 3 to 4 minutes until thickened and bubbling. Keep warm over low heat.
Heat a dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef strips in a single layer in batches 2 to 3 minutes per side until browned and cooked to 145°F (63°C) inside. Rest 3 minutes.
Place the broccoli florets in a steamer basket over a pan of boiling water. Cover and steam 4 to 5 minutes until tender-crisp.
Return the beef and any juices to the thickened sauce. Toss to coat and simmer 1 minute until heated through.
Fluff the rice and divide it among six plates. Top with the teriyaki beef and steamed broccoli, and serve.
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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Rice + beeftop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,175 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
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Garlic + broccolitop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,072 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
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Rice + broccolitop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together609 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Beef + garlictop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together6,150 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
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Rice + garlictop 8% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together3,952 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Flavor stand-ins for the garlic
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, beef, sauce, sugar, broccoli):
- Gingerabout as good a flavor fit
- Cinnamonabout as good a flavor fit
- Garlicthe original
- Celeryabout as good a flavor fit
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, beef, sauce, sugar, broccoli. 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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