Why it works: Pepper and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,814 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Broiled Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the ham
Cut the ham into thin slices and trim the edges.
Place the slices in a saucepan and cover with water.
Heat the water gradually without boiling for about 10 minutes.
Taste the ham; if too salty, pour off the water and add fresh water, then heat again.
Broil and serve
Dry the ham with a cloth and broil over a clear fire.
Serve on a platter and dress with pepper and small bits of butter.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
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.
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Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Ham + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,475 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Pepper + buttertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Ham + vinegartop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together737 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-methylbutanol (malty, whiskey).
-
Ham + peppertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,058 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- Is the main food; slicing thinly lets it cook evenly and gives a tender bite.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture to the finished slices as it melts over the hot ham.
- Vinegar
- Listed in the ingredients but not used in any step, so its role here is not stated.
The step that matters
Heating the ham in water without boiling. Gentle heating draws out excess salt and softens the meat, while a rolling boil would toughen the fibres and make the slices tough and dry.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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