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
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Place mutton chops in a dripping pan.
Season well.
Bake and serve
Bake in the hot oven without turning for about 30 minutes.
Baste often.
Check for doneness.
Thicken the gravy if desired.
Pour over the meat.
Garnish with parsley.
Serve on a hot platter.
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).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mutton chops
- Form the main substance of the dish, and their fat and connective tissue render during baking to moisten the meat.
The step that matters
Bake without turning, basting often. Leaving the chops undisturbed lets a browned crust form on the bottom and keeps the surface from drying. Frequent basting spreads the rendered fat and juices over the meat, keeping it moist while it cooks through.
“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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