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Presidents/William Howard Taft

AT THE TABLE WITH WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT

Skillet steak & sweet onions

Rest the steaks on a warm plate while you bring everything else to the table.

Dinner35 minServes 2
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Skillet steak & sweet onions — the black-and-white years
The black-and-white years · Serving illustration

THE STORY ON YOUR PLATE

Steak could be breakfast, too

More about William Howard Taft →

The twenty-seventh president later became Chief Justice of the United States.

Family or White House tradition

White House staff recollections describe Taft eating steak at breakfast, often with potatoes. Our skillet version adds sweet onions and keeps the portions manageable for a home dinner.

The president & the table

White House staff recollections and a 1935 account of Taft’s tastes describe steak as a recurring breakfast, often with potatoes. His appetite was famous, but the useful culinary detail is straightforward: a familiar cut, broiled or grilled, mattered more than novelty.

Behind this story

Pattie Ellicott, “Favorite Foods of Famous Folk,” Washington Post, 31 October 1935, citing White House staff recollections; indexed by The Food Timeline.

APRON ON. HISTORY CAN WAIT.

Make it at home.

Serves 2

What you’ll need

Let’s make it

  1. Cook onions in half the oil and half the butter over medium-low heat for 15–20 minutes, stirring until soft and golden. Remove and keep warm.

  2. Pat steaks dry and season. Heat the remaining oil in the pan until hot. Sear steaks for 3–5 minutes per side, adjusting for thickness.

  3. Add remaining butter and thyme and spoon the foaming butter over the meat. For a food-safety baseline, reach at least 63°C / 145°F and rest for 3 minutes.

  4. Serve with the onions and pan juices.

Cooking notes

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