Why it works: Pepper and meat are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,777 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Broiled Chops or Steaks
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Prepare a clear, bright fire and heat a clean gridiron, greasing the bars.
Broil and serve
Place the meat on the gridiron and broil it close to the fire for 1 minute to seal in the juices.
Turn the meat to the other side for 1 minute to seal the juices.
Finish cooking more slowly for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness, turning frequently for tenderness.
Serve on a hot plate and season to taste.
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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Pepper + meattop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together8,777 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
- Meat
- Searing the surface first helps seal in juices, and slower finishing cooks the interior through.
The step that matters
Searing the meat before slower cooking. Initial high heat browns the surface and seals in juices. Cooking too long over intense heat can dry the outside, so the slower finish matters for even doneness and tenderness.
“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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