Why it works: Shallot and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,982 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
To Broil Mutton Steaks
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the gridiron
Preheat the gridiron until hot.
Rub the gridiron with fresh suet.
Cook the steaks
Place the mutton steaks on the gridiron and turn them frequently to prevent smoking.
Once cooked, transfer the steaks to a hot dish.
Rub the steaks with butter.
Finish and serve
In a small bowl, mix the sliced shallot with water, then pour it over the steaks.
Add mushroom ketchup and salt to taste, and serve hot.
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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Shallot + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,982 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Butter + mushroomtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,525 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
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Mutton + mushroomtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together685 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Shallot + ketchuptop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together476 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Mushroom + ketchuptop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,225 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mutton steaks
- The main protein, which is cooked directly on the hot gridiron.
- Fresh suet
- Rubbed on the gridiron to add fat, helping prevent the steaks from sticking.
- Butter
- Rubbed over the cooked steaks to add richness and fat to the surface.
- Shallot
- Adds a mild onion-like aroma and sharpness to the sauce poured over the steaks.
- Mushroom ketchup
- Adds savory, umami depth and a salty richness to the finished steaks.
The step that matters
Turning the steaks frequently. Frequent turning over direct high heat keeps the surface from scorching and smoking before the interior cooks through. Fat dripping onto the heat causes flare-ups and smoke, so the steaks need close attention.
“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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