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 ↓
Mutton Chops
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Hang the loin of mutton until tender, about a week in summer or two weeks in winter.
Cut the chops into 1-inch thick pieces.
Cook and serve
Broil the chops on a wire grill over a clear fire, turning frequently for about 8 minutes.
Serve each chop on a hot plate.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Rub a small piece of butter on each.
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
- Is the meat itself; hanging it tenderises the muscle fibres before cooking.
- Butter
- Adds moisture and richness to the cooked chops as it melts over them.
- Black pepper
- Adds sharp aroma and mild heat that complements the richness of the meat.
The step that matters
Broil the chops on a wire grill over a clear fire, turning frequently for about 8 minutes.. A clear, hot fire sears the outside quickly while the inside stays juicy. Frequent turning spreads the heat evenly and prevents the surface from scorching before the centre is cooked.
“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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