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> Home > Beef Flavor > Beef Flavor Pairings
Beef Flavor Pairings: Matches Made in HeavenIt’s no accident that beef is often paired with certain ingredients in both recipes and menu items. Food trend research conducted for NCBA on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board by Foodwatch reveals that many of the most popular ingredients in beef dishes contain umami compounds—just as beef does. And as we’ve now learned, when two or more umami compounds meet, it’s love at first bite—an explosion of savory, meaty, delicious flavors!
Foodwatch reviewed over 1700 beef recipes from thirty-three U.S. magazines and newspapers from 1999–2001 and categorized the ingredients that were most often used with beef. It’s no surprise that a number of umami-rich ingredients top the list.
Top 20 Flavors in Newsstand Beef Recipes
| • Onion |
60% |
| • Garlic |
55% |
| • Tomato* |
32% |
| • Beef Broth/Stock/Bouillon* |
25% |
| • Wine (mainly red)* |
20% |
| • Cheese (mainly Parmesan, Cheddar, Blue)* |
19% |
| • Sugar |
18% |
| • Cream |
18% |
| • Bell Pepper |
16% |
| • Vinegar |
16% |
| • Thyme |
15% |
| • Parsley |
14% |
| • Cayenne |
13% |
| • Mushroom* |
13% |
| • Soy Sauce* |
11% |
| • Cumin |
11% |
| • Mustard |
10% |
| • Ginger |
10% |
| • Bay Leaves |
10% |
| • Oregano |
10% |
Beef and the Restaurant SceneFoodwatch also conducted flavor analyses of over 2400 beef menu items from over 400 U.S. chain and independent restaurants in 2001 and calculated beef flavor combinations. These combinations include flavors within a single beef dish as well as flavors in accompanying sauces and side dishes. The findings indicate that similar flavor trends exist between restaurant beef dishes and those published in magazines and newspapers—both emphasize umami-tasting ingredients.
Today’s Menu Special: Beef Flavored with…
- Onion
- Cheese*
- Mushroom*
- Wine*
- Garlic
- Pepper/Peppercorns
- Truffles*
- Peppers/Green Peppers
- Shallots
- Bacon*
- Barbecue Sauce*
- Horseradish
- Béarnaise
- Mustard
Classic Beef Flavor Combinations Why does the thought of Beef Bourguignonne perk up our appetites while Sweet and Sour Beef has us wrinkling our noses? Because the flavors in classic beef dishes exist for a reason—they harmonize deliciously!
Use the following list as a flavor road map, navigating you toward ideal ingredients as you develop your own beef products, recipes and menu items.
BEEF CLASSICS
| Steak Diane |
Beef top loin (strip) steaks, sirloin or tenderloin steaks pounded, sautéed in butter, and served with a sauce of shallots, cognac or brandy, chives, mustard and cream |
| London Broil |
Marinated and broiled beef flank steak, top round steak or shoulder steak served thinly sliced |
| Swiss Steak |
Beef round steak pounded, dredged in flour, browned, then braised with tomato and onion |
| Salisbury Steak |
Broiled or pan-broiled oval ground beef patty flavored with onion and served with brown gravy |
| Chicken – or Country-Fried Steak |
Tenderized beef round steak dredged in flour or crumbs, pan-fried until crisp and served with cream gravy |
| Steak DeBurgo |
Beef tenderloin steak served with a warm garlic butter wine sauce flavored with herbs (oregano, basil) |
| Châteaubriand |
Broiled or grilled two-portion piece of beef tenderloin served with a béarnaise sauce and château potatoes |
| Beef Wellington |
A rare beef tenderloin spread with pâté of fois gras and/or duxelles and baked in puff pastry |
| “Prime” Rib or Standing Rib Roast & Yorkshire Pudding |
Beef rib roast seasoned with salt and pepper, roasted and served with Yorkshire Pudding (made with beef drippings, milk, eggs, flour, salt and chives) |
| Sauerbraten |
Beef rump or round roast marinated in wine vinegar and water with carrot, celery, onion, bay, cloves, peppercorns and thyme, then browned, simmered in the marinade and finished with brown sugar, golden raisins and sometimes crushed gingersnaps. |
| Corned Beef & Cabbage |
Corned beef brisket simmered and served with steamed cabbage, onion and carrot |
| Santa Maria BBQ Tri-Tip |
Marinated and grilled beef tri-tip served with pinquito beans, salsa and sourdough bread |
| Beef (Boeuf) Bourguignonne |
Beef chuck or round braised in dry red wine, bacon, shallots and bouquet garni and garnished with mushrooms and small onions |
| Beef Carbonnade |
Beef chuck or round stewed with onion, beer and bacon then sometimes topped with a mustard-flavored toasted bread slice |
| Beef Stroganoff |
Beef tenderloin tips or tender beef strips, mushrooms, and shallots or onion sautéed in butter and served in a sour cream sauce |
| Cottage Pie |
Cooked diced beef or browned ground beef, vegetables and gravy topped with mashed potatoes and baked in a casserole (beef version of Shepherd’s Pie) |
| Fajitas |
Beef skirt steak or flank steak marinated in lime juice, grilled over mesquite, carved and served in tortillas with pico de gallo (onion, tomato, cilantro, jalapeños) |
| Cornish Pasty |
Diced beef, potato and onion baked in a pastry crust like a turnover |
| Cheese Steak Sandwich |
Sautéed thinly sliced beef ribeye steak and onion served on a crusty Italian roll topped with processed cheese spread or American or provolone cheese, plus bell pepper, mushroom and ketchup |
| French Dip |
Thinly sliced roast beef served on a French roll with pan drippings (au jus) for dipping |
MORE BEEF CLASSICS
| Ragù alla Bolognese
Bolognese Meat Sauce for Pasta |
Browned ground beef chuck simmered with tomato, onion, carrot, celery, white wine and nutmeg |
| Braciola Siciliana
Beef Rolls, Sicilian Style |
Thinly sliced beef top round or butterflied flank steak pounded, filled with a mixture of olive oil, pecorino romano cheese, capers, black olives and bread crumbs, rolled then browned and braised |
| Polpettine e Piselli
Meatballs with Tomatoes and Peas |
Ground beef chuck, onion, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and nutmeg shaped into meatballs, browned and simmered with tomato and peas |
| Beef with Bell Pepper
Beef with Broccoli
Beef with Asparagus
Beef with Snow Peas |
Stir–fried beef flank or other beef steak slices with soy sauce, dry sherry, vinegar and green and/or red bell pepper or broccoli or asparagus or snow peas |
| Beef in Black Bean Sauce |
Stir-fried beef flank or other beef steak slices with fermented black beans, soy sauce, dry sherry, ginger, garlic, red bell pepper and broccoli or asparagus |
| Beef in Curry Flavored Sauce |
Stir-fried beef flank or other beef steak slices with curry powder, soy sauce, garlic, onion, carrot and celery |
| Beef in Spicy Garlic Sauce |
Stir-fried beef flank or other beef steak slices with soy sauce, vinegar, hot peppers, dry sherry, garlic, scallion, sugar, sesame oil, water chestnuts, black fungus, red bell pepper and snow peas or asparagus |
| Carne de res al chipotle
Chipotle Seasoned Pot Roast with Mexican Vegetables |
Beef chuck roast braised then shredded with roasted or boiled tomatillos, chipotle, garlic and Mexican vegetables |
| Bisteces a la Mexican
Steak, Mexican Style |
Tender beef steak flattened, pan-fried and cooked in a sauce of onion, chiles, tomato and cilantro |
| Milanesa de la Soledad
Marinated Beef “Schnitzel” |
Beef sirloin steak breaded with garlic, vinegar and bread crumbs then pan-fried |
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