Why it works: Parsley and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,037 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Broiled Beefsteak
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat the broiler until the coals are red hot.
Scrape the steak with a knife if unsure about its cleanliness.
Cook and serve
Place the steak on the hot broiler.
Turn the steak frequently to avoid burning.
When cooked, transfer the steak to a heated platter.
Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Place a lump of butter on top.
Garnish with parsley and lemon slices before serving.
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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Parsley + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,037 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Pepper + lemontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together28,563 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
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Butter + lemontop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Porterhouse or sirloin steak
- Provides the meat itself, which browns on the hot surface and is cooked through by the heat.
- Fresh butter
- Adds richness and moisture to the steak as it melts over the hot meat.
The step that matters
Turn the steak frequently. Under a broiler the surface can char quickly while the inside is still cold. Frequent turning spreads the heat evenly and keeps the outside from burning before the center cooks.
“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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