Why it works: Beef and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,971 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Beefsteak and Mutton Chops
Ingredients
Directions
Select the tenderest cuts of beef and mutton.
Broil over a clear, hot fire until the steak is rare and the chops are well done.
Season with salt and pepper.
Let the meat rest between two hot plates for three minutes 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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Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + muttontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,373 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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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
- Beef
- Main protein; its tender cut cooks quickly over high heat and stays juicy when not overcooked.
- Mutton
- Main protein; its tender chops brown on the surface over high heat while the inside cooks through.
The step that matters
Broil to the different doneness for each meat. Meat keeps cooking after leaving the heat, so the steak can overcook and firm up if left too long, while the chops need full cooking to be well done. Resting lets juices redistribute, keeping the meat moist.
“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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