Beef

About

Beef tastes predominantly salty and umami, with some sweetness and sourness, and bitterness when the meat is rare. Its flavor is clean, yeasty, and meaty with a slight metallic edge, and has less of the strong "animalic" character found in most pork and lamb. Flavor varies with species, rearing method, cut, and cooking method: grass-fed beef is fuller-flavored than grain-fed, and hanging the meat deepens and intensifies its flavor. Beef pairs well with vegetables and shellfish, like other meats, but has a particular affinity for sharp flavors such as horseradish and mustard.

Pairs well with beef

• CiLemonLemon is popular with beef in Italy.
• EaPotatoOld potatoes stored in the dark between about 44 and 50°F develop floral, fruity and fatty notes through slow enzyme activity; if stored…
• SuEggRaw beef, as in beef tartare, has a mild, slightly ammoniac and peppery flavor with a faint fishy note.
• CiOrangeA bouquet garni of orange zest, bay leaf, thyme and parsley is a traditional addition to slow-cooked beef stews.
• FrTomatoBeef and tomato appear together in many convenience foods, notably in instant noodle products, which combine noodles, a soy-based meat…
• SuGarlicGarlic strengthens beef's savory character.
• SpCinnamonCinnamon is a key spice in Greek pastitsio, where macaroni is layered with a cinnamon-spiced meat and tomato sauce and topped with bechamel.
• CrCoconutBeef penang and rendang are both slow-cooked, coconut-based Southeast Asian stews sharing a base of shallot, garlic, ginger or galangal,…
• CiGingerBeef combines well with ginger's tang, appearing in Thai and Chinese stir-fries and in a crunchy battered ginger beef developed in Calgary…
• EaMushroomMushrooms are a classic steakhouse garnish for beef, and the two are also combined in beef stroganoff and in pies with a rich,…
• BeMintMint is traditionally paired with British roast lamb rather than boiled beef, but other cuisines pair mint directly with beef: it is used…
• MaShellfish"Surf and turf," pairing beef with shellfish such as lobster, is thought to have originated in the U.S.
• MePorkTraditional meatballs often combine beef, pork and veal-pork for flavor, beef for a darker, more mineral note, and veal for texture;…
• GrAniseBéarnaise sauce, hollandaise flavored with tarragon, shallots and sometimes chervil, is the classic anise-adjacent partner for steak, and…
• BrBaconBacon's meatiness and fat can boost lean beef, echoing the traditional practice of larding meat with fat in French butchery.
• GrChiliChili con carne, typically made with beef (sometimes combined with pork), is said to have originated in late-nineteenth-century San…
• ChHard CheeseHard cheese has a savory, "brothy" flavor similar to beef stock, which is part of why many hard cheeses pair well with beef, as in a…
• CiLimeLime is sour, sweet, slightly bitter and intensely flavored with tropical fruit notes, and is used as a salt substitute in some cuisines.
• SuOnionThe original Philly cheesesteak, created by Pat and Harry Olivieri, was originally just finely sliced steak and onions on a roll, with…
• WoCarrotBeef and carrot became a well-established English pairing in the nineteenth century, from rib of roast beef served with carrots among the…
• RoCoffeeCoffee is used as a marinade or rub for beef in the American South, and appears in some restaurants where chefs use it as a rub, based on…
• MaOily FishThe Italian dish vitello tonnato is thin slices of cold cooked veal in a tuna mayonnaise sauce, traditionally made with canned rather than…
• GrParsleyParsley salad is served with roasted marrowbone, dressed with olive oil and lemon alongside shallot and capers.
• WoWalnutPickled walnuts, popular in England since the 18th century, are preserved in vinegar while still green and unshelled; the result is very…
• BrAnchovyGarum, a fermented sauce made from sun-dried anchovy or mackerel innards and brine, likely originated in Greece and was widely used by the…
• RoPeanutIn the Peruvian dish anticucho, skewered meat-traditionally ox heart, increasingly beef-is marinated in vinegar, garlic, chili, cumin and…
• BrOliveBlack olives add a dark, briny depth to a beef daube.
• EaCelerySlow-cooked celery becomes sweeter and more savory, and its stalks and seeds are commonly used to deepen the flavor of beef braises and…
• GrPeaA 19th-century account describes small joints of lamb or veal (or spring chicken) stewed gently for several hours with peas, butter,…
• ChBlue CheeseThe tang of well-aged beef pairs naturally with blue cheese, as in the classic steak au Roquefort (or, in Spain, a similar dish with the…