Why it works: Mutton and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,442 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
Broiled Mutton Chops
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the chops from the tenderloin of mutton, removing excess fat and trimming them into a nice shape.
Slightly beat and level the chops.
Place a gridiron over a bright, clear fire.
Rub the bars of the gridiron with a little fat.
Broil and serve
Lay the chops on the gridiron and frequently turn them while broiling.
After about 8 minutes, season the chops with pepper and salt.
Dish the chops onto a very hot plate.
Rub a small piece of butter on each chop.
Serve the chops immediately.
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.
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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Mutton + peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together5,442 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Mutton + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,781 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Pepper + buttertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Loin of mutton
- Forms the main body of the dish, cooked tender and juicy over direct heat.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a glossy finish when rubbed onto the hot chops.
The step that matters
Frequently turning the chops while broiling. Turning often over a hot, direct fire helps the outside brown evenly without burning, while the inside cooks through gently. Letting one side sit too long can scorch it and leave the other side underdone.
“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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