FROM THE FOUNDING TABLE TO YOUR KITCHEN
POTUSPLATETHE PRESIDENTIAL TABLEHISTORY IS SERVED.
Presidents/Dwight D. Eisenhower

AT THE TABLE WITH DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

Backyard grilled steak

Move the steaks to a cooler part of the grill if the outside browns too quickly.

Dinner25 minServes 4
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Backyard grilled steak — a little vintage colour
A little vintage colour · Serving illustration

THE STORY ON YOUR PLATE

Ike did more than ask what was for dinner

More about Dwight D. Eisenhower →

The Allied commander in Europe during World War II became the thirty-fourth president.

Family or White House tradition

Steak appears among Eisenhower’s recorded food preferences. This straightforward grilled version lets the cut and its browned surface carry the dish.

The president & the table

Eisenhower’s preserved recipe collection includes dishes he developed himself, among them beef stew and vegetable soup. Records of his tastes also include steak, while Mamie’s deep-dish apple pie belongs to the family’s dessert story. This was a table with a president interested in the cooking.

Behind this story

Eisenhower Presidential Library recipe collection and favourite-food records.

APRON ON. HISTORY CAN WAIT.

Make it at home.

Our home adaptation · Serves 4 · Not yet kitchen-tested

What you’ll need

Let’s make it

  1. Mix butter, parsley and garlic. Heat the grill to medium-high.

  2. Pat steaks dry, rub with oil and season. Grill for 3–5 minutes per side, adjusting for thickness.

  3. Check the centre with a thermometer. For a food-safety baseline reach at least 63°C / 145°F, then rest for at least 3 minutes.

  4. Top each steak with herb butter and serve.

About this home version

A modern home recipe with practical ingredients and measured quantities.

Metric and US measures are approximate equivalents. For baking, use weights when you can.

STAY FOR ANOTHER COURSE

More from this table.